Contributed by GNAC Social Media Intern Rebecca Osowski

GNAC CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

WINTHROP, Mass. – Saith Joseph's (Maine) will host the 14 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's cross-country teams for the 6K championship race on Saturday, Nov. 4. The race is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.

Colby-Sawyer was voted the favorite in this year's poll. The Chargers received 157 points and 10 first place votes. Emmanuel and Norwich tied for second place, each receiving 133 points and two first place votes. Regis was ranked fourth with 124 points, Lasell was ranked fifth (107), and Simmons was ranked sixth (102). Johnson and Wales (101) finished seventh, only one point behind Simmons.

Saint Joseph's (Maine) (72), University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (59), Elms (47) and Dean (35) finished eighth through eleventh. Mitchell, which joined the conference earlier this year, will be competing in its first GNAC women's cross country championship, and finished twelfth in the poll (27).

New England College and River will also have individual runners competing.

2023 GNAC Women's Cross Country Pre-Championship Poll

Team Previews (In order of poll results)

Colby-Sawyer

Colby-Sawyer has competed at four meets this year, collecting one first place finish at the Colby-Sawyer Invitational. Two-time GNAC Runner of the Week Tessa Millette finished in second place (20:32.9). Sophomores Adriana Nadeau and Leah O'Neill have also been consistent for the Chargers, trading off first, second, and third place finishes with Millette.

Emmanuel

Emmanuel has also competed at five meets, collecting one first place finish at the Elms Blazers XC Classic. Senior Emma Krantz finished first overall for the Saints in the team's first place finish at Elms and was the first Saint to cross the finish line at all five meets.

First-years Heidi Li and Kendall Newton were consistently the second and third Saints runners to finish behind Krantz. Li finished third overall at the Elms Blazers XC Classic.

Norwich

Norwich has competed in six meets this season. First-year and four-time GNAC Rookie of the week Joelle Moore has led the Cadets as their first finisher five times. Moore has also collected one overall first place finish at the Norwich Cadets Invitational.

Sophomore Dabira Ojeyomi was the second Cadet to finish four times, also crossing the finish line first for the Cadets once. First-year Cece Winters has also been consistent, being the third best Cadet runner three times, and the second best once.

Regis

Regis has competed in five meets this season. Grad student Libby Parker and senior Elizabeth Stevenson led the Pride and alternated positions all season. Parker was the first to finish for the Pride three times, quickly followed by Stevenson in two of those meets. In the other two meets, Stevenson finished first for the Pride, with Parker not far behind. Both Parker and Stevenson finished in the top ten as the eighth and ninth overall finishers at the Charger Cross Country Invitational.

Lasell

Lasell has competed in six meets this year. Sophomore Kiara Cerruti was the first Laser to finish at all six meets, finishing third overall at three. First-year Katherine Kohtala finished right behind Cerruti at the five meets she competed in.

Sophomore Emily Varga and junior Hanna Babek were also consistently the third and fourth Lasers to finish.

Simmons

Simmons has competed in four meets. Senior Sara Hornak led the Sharks in three meets while sophomore Beth Pennington took first Simmons finisher honors in the fourth.

First-years Neeva Manandhar and Julia Pellegrino have also been consistent.

Johnson & Wales

The Johnson & Wales Wildcats completed five meets this season. Sophomore Avery Goshert was the first Wildcat to finish at all five meets, closely followed by fellow sophomore Allison Borduin as the second Wildcat finisher at all five meets. Goshert and Borduin were the fourth and fifth overall finishers at the Fuller Invitational.

Sophomore Yvette Lauzon has also been consistent, being the third Wildcat finisher three times, and the fourth finisher twice.

Saint Joseph's (Maine)

The Saint Joseph's (Maine) Monks have also completed six meets this season. Sophomore Alexia Young has been the first Monk to cross the finish line three times, followed closely by first-year Ava Moffett. In two other races, Young and Moffett switched spots. 

Junior Terry Cassetta has also been a consistent contributor, finishing third for the Monks five times, and first once.

University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)

The Blue Jays competed in six meets. Sophomore Faith Shores has led the way for the Blue Jays all year. She was the first Blue Jay to cross the finish line at four meets and won the Mitchell Invitational with a 20:29.5.

First-year Aliyannah Makein finished second behind Shores twice while senior Jaelynn Solorzano has been the second Blue Jay's finisher once.

Elms

Elms has competed in five meets. Sophomore Olivia Morin, first-year Evelyn Pohlman, and junior Olivia Beck have consistently been the top three runners for the Blazers. Morin was the first Blazer to finish at four events, while Pohlman finished just ahead of Morin at the fifth.

Dean

The Dean Bulldogs have competed at five meets this season. Sophomore Kokoro Okada was the first Bulldog to finish in three of the five races while junior Tanya Spengler took that honor in the other two.

Sophomore Isabella Nitschke and junior Emma Cotsonas round out the top four finishers for the Bulldogs.

Mitchell

Mitchell competed in six meets this season. First-year Inonda Peterson was the first to cross the finish line for Mitchell four times. Senior Katelyn Lipsky was the second Mariner to cross in those four meets, while being the first Mariner to cross at one meet.

First-year Shelly Ramos was the third Mariner finisher at three meets.

New England College

The New England College Pilgrims have completed four meets this season. Senior Keegan Finley led the Pilgrims in all four races. Senior Haleigh Bilodeau was the second Pilgrim to finish behind Finley in two of those four meets.

Rivier

Rivier has competed at four meets this season. First-year Lily Bateman, senior Emma Desmarais, and junior Sophia Lunati have led the way for the Raiders all year. Bateman and Desmarais each finished first for the Raiders once, while Lunati crossed the finish line first twice. Senior Kelly Lavioe has also competed in all four meets for the Raiders.

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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