Seven Runners Place in Top Eight Spots at Main Line Invitational

Nicky Akande is individual runner-up, posts Wildcats top time in season opener

Nicky Akande was second overall and first for Villanova at the Main Line Invitational on Thursday evening.

Sept. 20, 2012

HAVERFORD, Pa.--Junior Nicky Akande (Lawrenceville, Ga.) led a group of seven Villanova runners that finished consecutively from second place through eighth at the Main Line Invitational early Thursday evening. The first meet of the season for the Wildcats took place on the Haverford College Alumni Course and covered three miles in distance.

Akande recorded a time of 16:26.10 to pace a group of 12 runners from Villanova that were in action in the meet, which included runners from six local schools. The top seven runners for the Wildcats were separated by just 46.6 seconds at the finish line in a strong group effort.

Junior Emily Lipari (Greenvale, N.Y.), senior Summer Cook (Thornton, Colo.) and sophomore Courtney Chapman (Fayetteville, N.Y.) joined Akande as returning runners for Villanova who competed at the NCAA Championships last season. Lipari came in third (16:34.90), while Cook was fourth (16:49.30) and Chapman placed eighth (17:12.70).

The trio of sophomore Stephanie Schappert (Delray Beach, Fla.), freshman Kelsey Margey (Huntington, N.Y.) and sophomore Megan Venables (Laurel Springs, N.J.) finished in a row from fifth through seventh places, respectively. Schappert came in fifth (16:51.50), Margey finished sixth (16:55.10) in her collegiate debut and Venables was seventh (17:12.70).

The local meet has served as the opening competition of the season for the Wildcats for the past several years and is a good chance for head coach Gina Procaccio to evaluate where her runners are at this early in the season.

Meghan McGlinchey from La Salle was the individual champion in the meet with a time of 16:16.30.

Rounding out the group of Villanova runners were senior Meghan Smith (Newark, Del.) in 12th place (17:24.70), junior Ariann Neutts (Succasunna, N.J.) in 25th (18:10.70), junior Mary Bohi (Shamong, N.J.) in 29th (18:22.60), freshman Amanda Borroughs (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) in 30th (18:23.20) and senior Anna Francis (Brookhaven, N.Y.) in 37th (18:49.30).

Next up for the Wildcats is the Paul Short Run next Friday (Sept. 28) at Lehigh. Members of the team will run in that meet in both the Women’s Open race (10:00 a.m.) and the Collegiate Women’s Gold race (11:45 a.m.).

Main Line Invitational
Haverford College Alumni Course
Three Miles

Complete Villanova Results

Nicky Akande                   2nd of 84              16:26.10
Emily Lipari                   3rd                    16:34.90
Summer Cook                    4th                    16:49.30
Stephanie Schappert            5th                    16:51.50
Kelsey Margey                  6th                    16:55.10
Megan Venables                 7th                    17:12.50
Courtney Chapman               8th                    17:12.70
Meghan Smith                   12th                   17:24.70
Ariann Neutts                  25th                   18:10.70
Mary Bohi                      29th                   18:22.60
Amanda Borroughs               30th                   18:23.20
Anna Francis                   37th                   18:49.30

Villanova University