Alves, Gill are leaders of the pack for Stonehill

Globe South Sports
The Boston Globe

By Justin A. Rice
Globe Correspondent / November 15, 2009

On Saturday, Jill Alves of Whitman will compete in the NCAA Division 2 cross-country championships for the second time. And although she’s only a sophomore, Alves is still considered a veteran compared to the other runners on the Stonehill College women’s team.

Riding the performances of Alves and freshmen Erin Carmone and Lynley Joynt, the Skyhawks edged Northeast-10 Conference rival University of Massachusetts at Lowell to capture last week’s Division 2 East Regional title at Franklin Park.

Alves, who finished 155th overall on the 6-kilometer course at the NCAAs last year, is aiming for a better finish this year at the University of Southern Indiana.

“All the girls up front are so ridiculously good,’’ said Alves, who was an Atlantic Coast League All-Star in both cross-country and track at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

“I have to just worry about where I’m supposed to be in the race and not worry about the girls way up front.

“There are hundreds of girls around you and it seemed like I was in 100th place. It was a very different experience. Hopefully this year I can handle the pressure a lot better.’’

Carmone broke the tape first at the East Regionals, earning an 11-second victory in a time of 22 minutes 16.5 seconds. Alves (23:18.2) was eighth and Joynt (23:18.9) was ninth.

Breaking into the Top 15 at the nationals, though, will be difficult for a squad that is youthful and lacks experience, according to Karen Boen, who coaches both the Stonehill women’s and men’s teams.

“If you can get out there this young, there’s not as much mystery or fear going into the second time,’’ Boen said of running the championships as underclassmen. “Going into her second time, Jill will be much more mentally prepared.’’

Nevertheless, Boen said this year’s combination of freshmen and sophomores is probably the strongest she’s had in her 11 years coaching the women. A lot of that has to do with Alves’s leadership.

“She’s just everything you look for in a runner,’’ Boen said. “She’s determined and has great leadership, just a great disposition.’’

The ninth-ranked men’s team also qualified for nationals, finishing second behind UMass-Lowell on Sunday; former Brockton High standout Kevin Gill covered the 5-mile course in 21:18.6 to finish fourth overall.

“Collectively, we didn’t run as well, but we got the ticket to nationals, that’s all that mattered,’’ Gill said, noting that only the top two teams qualified for the NCAA Championships.

Boen said he hopes the men can finish in the top 10 at nationals.

“They have the talent to do it, they just have to have the guts now,’’ Boen said.

The men qualified for nationals even though number-five runner Ben Rumery was sidelined with the H1N1 virus. He is back at practice and should be ready for the nationals.

A year ago, Gill placed 78th in the 10K at the NCAAs in a time of 32:55 on a hilly and snowy course at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. He said he hoped to finish in the top 40, which earns All-American honors.

“That’s what I’m shooting for this year,’’ he said. “I had this goal since pretty much my freshman year. I thought it would happen last year. This year I just have to put it all together out there, and if it happens, it was meant to be.’’

Gill’s older brother, Keith, graduated from Stonehill last spring as an All-American in all three running seasons: cross-country and indoor and outdoor track. He was named Division 2 Athlete of the Year for indoor track after he set a school record in the mile (4:03.43) in February 2008.

The younger Gill has an impressive resume too. An All-Scholastic runner at Brockton High, he helped the Boxers win two cross-country state championships and he won a state championship in the mile. His first year at Stonehill, he ran the fastest mile ever (4:10) by a freshman.

“He’s a workhorse and a fierce competitor,’’ Boen said.

That fire, however, got the younger Gill into a bit of hot water last Sunday at the Franklin Park race when he went out too hard and didn’t have enough in his tank for the final kick.

He doesn’t regret the strategy though, saying it will make him more battle-tested for the NCAAs.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.