Quinnipiac University
Northeast Conference Championships
Outstanding Team Effort Carries Women's Cross Country to Record Eighth Straight NEC Championship
10/27/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
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Northeast Conference Women's Cross Country Championship Results
Photos From 2012 Northeast Conference Championship
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Quinnipiac women's cross country showed their impeccable depth on their way to capturing an eighth consecutive Northeast Conference Championship on Saturday. The Bobcat's eight-year championship winning streak is the longest current streak in any NEC-sponsored sport. Four Bobcats garnered All-Conference honors and all seven qualifying runners for Quinnipiac placed within the first 23 competitors to finish in the 5k event. Sacred Heart finished runner-up with 54 points compared to the Bobcat's 46.
"The way the girls performed today really shows that all their hard work and effort paid off throughout the season," said Quinnipiac women's cross country head coach Carolyn Martin. "All of our girls finished where we wanted them to finish, they packed up well, and I couldn't be happier with the job we did today."
Senior Becca White (Natick, Mass) once again proved vital to the team's success as she placed 3rd overall in the competition. Racing in her final NEC Championship, the senior saved her best race of the year for Saturday as she finished in 17:51.99, her best time in five races this season. Her finishing time is the second fastest of her career, behind her 2010 NEC Championship performance where she won the event in a record-breaking time of 17:17.1.
Junior Jessica Soja (Simsbury, Conn.) continued to prove herself as one of the most impressive Bobcat runners, finishing second on the team and 7th overall to land her an All-Conference selection. Soja has finished second among Bobcat runners in all five races she has competed this year and nearly established a personal-best time, coming in with 18:19.81 for Quinnipiac. It is her first time being named an All-Conference runner.
Senior Morgan Roche (Clifton Park, N.Y.) capped her career with four consecutive All-Conference honors as she placed 8th, seconds behind Soja. Roche crossed the line at 18:25.06 and closed her stellar Quinnipiac career with another outstanding clutch performance.
The fourth and final All-Conference runner for Quinnipiac on Saturday was junior Brianna Faust (Macungie, Pa.). She earns her third All-Conference honor as she finished 12th overall with a time of 18:29.10. Faust saved her best time of the season for Saturday's event as she nearly established a new career-best, coming seconds short of her 2010 NEC Championship time of 18:20.6.
The three final competitors were not far off the pace as junior Amanda Faust (Macungie, Pa.) finished just two spots outside the All-Conference cutoff in 16th place. The Bobcat freshmen helped round out the field as Tracy Campbell (Wall Township, N.Y.) and Ashley Carle (Jackson, N.J.) finished in 21st and 23rd-place, respectively. They also were the second and third NEC freshmen to finish the race, in respective order.
Bryant's own Eimear Black was named the 2012 Outstanding Performer of the Year as she won the event in 17:34.29, over 13 seconds faster than the runner-up. Bryant also claimed the Rookie of the Year in Annmarie Tuxbury but Quinnipiac came home with their eighth consecutive title.
The Bobcats will have a week off before competing in the NCAA Northeast Regional at Hammonasett State Park in Madison, Conn. on Nov. 9 with the women's event starting at 12 p.m.
2012 Women's Cross Country All-Conference Team
1 Black, Eimear JR Bryant 6:11.2 17:34.29 1 2 Selmquist, Alyssa SR Sacred Heart 6:15.7 17:47.32 2 3 White, Rebecca SR Quinnipiac 6:17.4 17:51.99 3 4 Castrogivanni, Brianna JR Sacred Heart 6:19.1 17:56.88 4 5 Reynolds, Martha JR Bryant 6:24.0 18:10.92 5 6 Navarro, Michelle SR Sacred Heart 6:25.6 18:15.35 6 7 Soja, Jessica JR Quinnipiac 6:27.2 18:19.81 7 8 Roche, Morgan SR Quinnipiac 6:29.0 18:25.06 8 9 Tuxbury, Annmarie FR Bryant 6:29.9 18:27.47 9 10 Maher, Kelsey SR Monmouth 6:29.9 18:27.64 10 11 Eller, Amanda SR Monmouth 6:29.9 18:27.69 11 12 Faust, Brianna JR Quinnipiac 6:30.4 18:29.10 12 13 Dearborn, Krisztina JR Central Connecticut 6:32.2 18:34.05 13 14 Eberhardt, Elizabeth JR Central Connecticut 6:32.6 18:35.20 14
<pre>Team Scores
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Rank Team Total 1 2 3 4 5 *6 *7 *8 *9
=================================================================================
1 Quinnipiac 46 3 7 8 12 16 21 23
Total Time: 1:31:48.19
Average: 18:21.64
2 Sacred Heart 54 2 4 6 17 25 31 36
Total Time: 1:31:44.48
Average: 18:20.90
3 Bryant 82 1 5 9 30 37 46 49
Total Time: 1:32:47.70
Average: 18:33.54
4 Monmouth 117 10 11 24 32 40 53 58
Total Time: 1:34:52.86
Average: 18:58.58
5 Central Connecticut 140 13 14 28 29 56 60 74
Total Time: 1:35:25.65
Average: 19:05.13
6 Mount St. Mary's 163 15 19 22 43 64 68 73
Total Time: 1:37:14.10
Average: 19:26.82
7 Robert Morris 167 18 26 34 42 47 55 62
Total Time: 1:37:01.07
Average: 19:24.22
8 Wagner 202 20 35 45 50 52 57 61
Total Time: 1:38:33.40
Average: 19:42.68
9 St. Francis (Pa.) 217 27 33 41 51 65 71 75
Total Time: 1:39:12.57
Average: 19:50.52
10 St. Francis (N.Y.) 242 38 39 48 54 63 66 67
Total Time: 1:40:28.11
Average: 20:05.63
11 Fairleigh Dickinson 314 44 59 69 70 72
Total Time: 1:46:58.17
Average: 21:23.64
Contact: Maxx McNall; maxx.mcnall@quinnipiac.edu
Players Mentioned
