Somerset, NJ -- By a unanimous vote of the league’s head coaches, Sacred Heart was tabbed to win its third straight Northeast Conference Women’s Cross Country Championship. The Pioneers received nine of the ten first place nods in the 2015 poll as coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team.
Under the direction of four-time NEC Coach of the Year
Christian Morrison, the Pioneers are looking to capture the program’s fourth NEC title, the first coming back in 2005.
Bryant took second in the poll after earning runner-up honors at last year’s NEC Championship. Saint Francis U was slated third. Coming in fourth was Central Connecticut followed by Robert in the fifth spot. Tying for the sixth slot in the preseason poll were Mount St. Mary’s and Wagner. Rounding out the 10-team preseason rankings were Fairleigh Dickinson, St. Francis Brooklyn and LIU Brooklyn.
Mount St. Mary’s and St. Francis U will open the 2015 NEC cross country season on Friday September 4th and the remaining schools will begin the next day. The following week, six NEC schools will travel to Bryant to compete in the Nassaney Invitational on September 12.
The aforementioned competition will serve as a precursor to the 2015 NEC Women's Cross Country Championship, which will take place on Saturday, October 31 on the campus of Bryant in Smithfield, RI.
Sacred Heart lost a pair of top-five finishers (Emma Bolduc and Elizabeth Hutchins) at last year’s NEC meet to graduation, but bring back three All-Conference selections. Senior
Shannon Hickey (South Easton, MA/Oliver Ames) is the top returning finisher for the Pioneers after coming in 11th a year ago with a time of 18:15. Sophomore
Tara Connelly (Holmdel, NJ/Saint John Vianney) and junior
Jennifer Hahne (Madison, CT/Daniel Hand) followed in 12th (18:16) and 13th (18:19), respectively.
With its sights set on the program’s first NEC crown, Bryant and first year head coach
Mitchell Switzer return seven harriers who competed in last year’s NEC Championship. Senior
Annmarie Tuxbury (New Hartford, CT/Amity), who earned All-NEC honors following an eighth place NEC finish last fall (18:01), is a prime performer for the Bulldogs. Bryant also bring backs sophomore
Elizabeth Willmonton (Rowley, MA/Triton), who clocked in her season-best at 18:29 for 15th place.
NEC Rookie of the Year and All-NEC honoree
Hannah Dorian (Johnstown, PA/Westmont Hilltop) returns for Saint Francis U. The sophomore secured a ninth place at the 2014 NEC meet with a time of 18:04.
Central Connecticut sophomore
Brittany Mendelson (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) claimed an All-NEC spot last season, crossing the tape in 18:22 for a 14th place finish.
Robert Morris returns three scorers who finished last year’s 5K NEC Championship course in under 20 minutes. Pacing the Colonials was sophomore
Maggie Prorok (Franklin, PA/Rocky Grove), who finished with a time of 19:22.
Mount St. Mary’s sophomore
Jill Greenwald (Columbia,MD/Atholton) is the leading returning finisher for the Mount from last season’s NEC meet. She took 45th overall at the Championship.
Wagner will look to move up behind senior
Danielle lacampo (Staten Island, NY/St. John Villa), who finished 33rd at the 2014 NEC Championship.
Fairleigh Dickinson brings back sophomore
Ariela Sutherland (Queens, NY/Health Professions and Human Services). The Queens, NY native paced the Knights with a time of 20:33 at last year’s NEC Championship.
Saint Francis Brooklyn lost top runner
Inelsi Diaz but returns six seniors looking to improve upon last year’s finish.
A young LIU Brooklyn team - with a roster that features just one upperclassman - will be led by sophomore
Esther Jean-Louis (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth). Jean-Louis paced the Blackbirds all season and was the top finisher for the team at the 2014 NEC meet with a time of 19:59.
About the Northeast Conference
Now in its 35th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary’s, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (
www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (
www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Google+, all @NECsports.