GORHAM, Maine – The University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's cross country team will be competing at the 2025 Little East Conference Women's Cross Country Championship will be held on Saturday, November 1 at the Owls Athletic Complex at Keene State College. The race will start at 11:00 am.
 
Southern Maine placed fifth at last season's championship event led by an eighth-place finish from junior Gwen Catalano (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle). Catalano clocked in at 19:22.1 last season to earn Second Team All-LEC honors in her first season with the Huskies.
 
Catalano has set the pace for the Huskies as the team's top finisher at every event that she's run in this season. Her most recent race saw her place 74th in the 5k at the 2025 New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association (NEICAAA) Championships with a time of 19:12.3. She also ran a personal-best 6k time of 23:26.5 at the Maine State Meet to place 29th.
 
In addition to Catalano, the Huskies' roster features a strong group of veterans ready to propel their team up the leaderboard. The group includes seniors Lucy Depolito (North Andover, Mass.), Anabel Melanson (West Warren, Mass./Quaboag), Alexis Karantza (Westbrook, Maine) and AnnMarie Limberger (Vassalboro, Maine/Waterville) who joined Catalano as top five finishers for the team at last season's meet. Depolito placed 23rd last year personal-best time of 20:20.70, Melanson finished 34th at 20:57.70, Karantza ran the course in 21:09.80, and Limberger finished 42nd at 21:12.60.
 
Limberger, a team captain along with Catalano, was the team's top finisher their last time out at the Coach Dann Runnin' Monks Classic with a time of 25:37.6 to place second in the 6k. She also has been the second Husky to cross the finish line at each of the other three meets that she has competed in.
 
Depolito has been one of the team's top three finishers at four events this season and is a reliable veteran. Junior Julia Szewc (Hermon, Maine) is another Husky to watch as she has been in the team's top five several times this year.
 
Participating Programs: Eastern Connecticut State University, Keene State College, Plymouth State University, Rhode Island College, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, University of Southern Maine, Vermont State University Castleton and Western Connecticut State University.
 
USM at the Little East Conference Championship: The Huskies have won six conference championships, starting with the inaugural LEC Championship in 1988. The Huskies have had 10 individual conference champions with Molly Carl being the most recent in 2012.
 
Time and Location: Saturday, November 1 at 11:00 am at the Owls Athletic Complex at Keene State College.