Results | Roster | Statistics
The Mount Holyoke College cross country team continued to improve in 2012, powered by outstanding efforts from several young competitors. Under the direction of second-year head coach Jennifer Adams, the Lyons posted four top-10 finishes on the season and were 20th or better in all seven meets.
Paced by first year Elizabeth DeLeon, who was the Lyons' top finisher in every race, Mount Holyoke kicked off the season with a fourth-place showing at the Smith College Invitational. Eight runners were in the top 60, led by DeLeon's seventh-place finish.
The Lyons continued to build on that momentum, taking 16th (of 38) at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational and second (of six) at the Keene State College Invitational. Mount Holyoke hit the mid-point of the season at Westfield State's James Earley Invitational, which saw DeLeon place 52nd of 453 runners.
At the 2012 Seven Sisters Championship, MHC ran to sixth overall behind outstanding runs from both DeLeon in 14th and sophomore Dana Fry in 30th. All told, the Lyons saw all five of their runs finish 52nd or better in a field of over 90 competitors.
That strong momentum set up an exciting weekend as Mount Holyoke headed to nearby Northampton for the 2012 NEWMAC Championships at Smith. DeLeon led the Lyons' effort, finishing 25th overall, but outstanding runs by Fry (44th), senior Julia Merton (53rd), junior Lucia Garcia (67th) and senior Phoebe Tengdin (77th) helped Mount Holyoke to a seventh-place finish at the conference championship.
Mount Holyoke headed into its final race of the season, the 2012 NCAA New England Regional Championship with great confidence and the result was another outstanding effort as the Lyons finished 19th among the field of 51 teams. That finish bettered the 2011 Regionals placing by eight spots as MHC was 27th a season ago.
DeLeon finished 89th of 367 competitors, while Fry was 103rd and the entire group finished in the top 161 to aid to the improvement from a season ago.
The Lyons also continued to shine academically with eight student-athletes being named to the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Team. Additionally, seniors Elizabeth MacLauchlan and Julia Merton were named Seven Sisters Scholar Athletes, recognized to those with a minimum 3.5 grade point average, have competed on varsity for three years and have participated in at least one Seven Sisters Championship.
• Finished seventh at the NEWMAC Championship
• Placed sixth at the Seven Sisters Championship
• Were 19th at NCAA New England Championship (placed 27th in 2011)
• Team finished 19th or better in all seven meets, including four Top-7 finishes
• Eight student-athletes named to the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference
• Two student-athletes named Seven Sisters Scholar Athletes and MHC Senior Scholar Athletes
