Cross Country Takes Ninth Place at NEWMAC Championship

BOSTON, Mass. (Oct. 31, 2009) – The Mount Holyoke College women's cross country team took ninth place at the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship today at Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Leading the way for the Lyons was first year Julia Merton, who took home 46th place with a time of 21:38.

Six runners finished in the top seven for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which totaled just 18 points en route to its third straight NEWMAC title and sixth overall. Host Wellesley College (75) and Springfield College (113) collected second and third place finishes, respectively. Rounding out the field were the Coast Guard Academy (117), Smith College (133), the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (163), Babson (201), Wheaton College (205), Mount Holyoke (248) and Clark University (260).

MIT’s Maria Monks completed the 5,000-meter course in 18:32 to capture Runner of the Year honors. Teammate Brooke Johnson crossed the line in 19:20 to secure the Rookie of the Year award. She finished fourth overall.

Sophomore Holly Valenzuela was Mount Holyoke’s second best finisher. She took 57th place with a time of 22:02.

The Lyons will wrap up their 2009 slate on Saturday, November 14, when they compete in the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championship at Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland, Maine.

2009 NEWMAC All-Conference Team
1. Maria Monks, MIT, 18:32 (Runner of the Year)
2. Jacqui Wentz, MIT, 18:45
3. Amanda DiPaolo, Springfield, 19:09
4. Brooke Johnson, MIT, 19:20 (Rookie of the Year)
5. Missy Showers, MIT, 19:21
6. Tania Morimoto, MIT, 19:31
7. Alina Gatowski, MIT, 19:33
8. Christine Dzialo, Smith, 19:34
9. Randelle Boots, Wellesley, 19:36
10. Victoria Hewey, WPI, 19:39
11. Katherine Eve, MIT, 19:53
12. Claire Cummings, Wellesley, 20:00
13. Lacy Cartier, Springfield, 20:04
14. Charlotte Margel, Babson, 20:10