Ferrara Becomes First All-American in Program History as Women’s Cross Country Places 27th at Nationals

Links: Results

BETHPAGE, N.Y. – Led by a historic performance by junior Katherine Ferrara, the Merrimack College women's cross country team put a bow on an incredible campaign with its best finish at the national championship meet in school history, as the Warriors placed 27^th at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.

Ferrara, like her team, wrapped up a monumentally special season in fitting fashion: by becoming the first All-American in school history by virtue of a top-40 performance on the individual leader board.

The Basics
Results: 27^th/34
Top Finisher: Katherine Ferrara (30^th – 23:21.6)
Location: Bob O'Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park | Pittsburgh, Pa.

What They Said:
Head coach Chris Cameron: "It was just an absolutely phenomenal day for our program. Katherine deserved her All-America honors, she ran so well and we're all so proud of the season she put together. Overall, there's so much to be pleased with. The fact that we were able to have the day we did on a true cross country course with some of the worst conditions I've ever seen is another testament to the girls. They ran so hard to cap off an incredible season!"
 

How It Happened:

• Merrimack made its triumphant return to the national championship meet for the second time in school history and first time since the 2013 campaign. The 6K circuit at the Bob O'Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park presented more challenges than any other this season, with muddy conditions and consistent rainfall, but the Warriors persevered.
• Ferrara ended her historic junior campaign by leading all Warrior women for the sixth time this season. She became the first All-American in the program's rich history thanks to her gutsy effort. The junior passed more than 40 runners on the way to her 30^th-place finish, clinching her prestigious accolades in the process. Her average split was 3:56.8, good for a final time of 23:21.6.
• Senior Tia Foglietta placed 78^th in another formidable display. In her final race as a Warrior, Foglietta – who earned all-region and all-conference accolades already – moved up nearly 50 spots from her starting position and crossed in a final time of 24:12.1, averaging a 4:02.0 split.
• Senior captain Sophie Gorton placed 181^st with a final time of 25:30.6, rounding out her Warrior career on an incredible high after earning all-region honors alongside Foglietta and Ferrara two weekends prior. Gorton passed 21 runners by the 1.8K split and passed an additional 15 the rest of the way while averaging a 4:13.9 split.
• Sophomore Julia Dempsey was next on the docket for Merrimack's top runners, placing 238^th thanks to a strong finish over the second half of the race. Dempsey, who averaged a 4:24.6 split, ran by 12 runners from the 2.9K split onward, crossing in a final time of 26:51.6.
• Senior Jackie Coscia rounded out the top-five Warriors who all factored into the team score with a 241^st-place finish, posting a final time of 26:45.5. She used a late burst in the final two kilometers to move up 12 spots while averaging a 4:28.2 split.
• Rookie Sarah Tierney and sophomore Kate Fisher were the final two Warriors to finish, placing 243^rd and 247^th, respectively.
• Merrimack's 27^th-place team finish was four spots better than the 2013 team that was the first to qualify for nationals.

Up Next
With the cross country season wrapped up, the Warriors will turn their sights to the track & field circuit, which also began on Saturday at the UMass Boston Invitational.