WENHAM, Mass.  - Junior Alex Brown (Hudson, NH) posted the fastest time in Southern New Hampshire University men's cross country history (27:47) as he paced the Penmen to a ninth place finish out of 20 teams at the Pop Crowell Invitational hosted by Gordon College Saturday morning.  The women finished 13th overall out of 21 competing teams.

Brown's time over the 8K course bested the old school record of 27:55 posted by Sean Griffin in 2005 as a split time at the NCAA Northeast Regional and is the third sub-28 minute time in school history.  His time was good for 13th overall.  Nick Watts (Pittsfield, NH) finished 21st overall with a time of 28:08, good for the seventh-best time in school history. 

Spencer Rennick (Peabody, MA) was the next finisher for the Penmen, coming home 74th with a 30:09 effort.  Sam Tarrant (Cleverdale, NY) completed the course in 31:05, while Michael Smith (Lynnfield, MA) finished in 32:23.

Freshman Melissa Hurley (Ashaway, RI) led the women with a time of 21:24, good for 50th overall.  Margaret Shields (Smithfield, RI) placed 58th with a time of 21:35, a personal best for the senior, while Svea Dellea-Messner (Windham, NH) was 70th with a 21:47 effort.

Amanda Soares (Woburn, MA) finished with a time of 22:53, while Allison Trafton (Salem, NH) posted a time of 25:08.  Abby Fisher rounded out the Penmen finishers with a time 30:31.

The SNHU cross country teams return to action next Saturday at the New England championships at Franklin Park in Boston.