Ferrara’s Individual Title Highlights Women’s Cross Country’s Season-Opening Win at Shacklette Invitational

Links: Results
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Highlighted by junior Katherine Ferrara winning her first collegiate race, the Merrimack College women's cross country team roared out of the gate – literally and figuratively – to start the 2018 campaign with a victory at the Shacklette Invitational on Saturday.

The Basics
Results: 1^st / 5
Top Finisher: Katherine Ferrara (1^st – 19:26)
Location: Saint Anselm College // Manchester, N.H.

What They Said:
Head coach Chris Cameron: "Overall I was very pleased with the way we ran and to take home both the individual and team title means a lot to our girls and is a great sign of things to come. Obviously there's a long stretch ahead of us, but that's a really good sign to see how we did today. We've got to keep working hard moving forward to continue to see results like that."

How It Happened:

• Ferrara, who was consistently one of Merrimack's top-three runners all last season as a stellar sophomore campaign, made noise right off the bat with a victory by nearly 20 seconds, winning her first collegiate race in 19:26 thanks to a 6:16 average split. She was the first Merrimack runner to win the event since Chandler Ortega in 2011.
• Senior Tia Foglietta had a fine showing in her 2018 debut, placing third for a podium spot in a time of 19:45, three seconds back of second place.
• Sophomore Kate Fisher ran an even 20:00 finish to place sixth and assure the Warriors would have five runners in the top-10.
• Senior captain Sophie Gorton was quickly followed by sophomore Julia Dempsey in ninth and 10^th place, consecutively; the former crossed in 20:16, while the latter did so in 20:19.
• Freshman Sarah Tierney was followed by seniors Morgan DeBolt and Jackie Coscia to round out the top-eight, as the three all finished in the top-20 in 14^th, 15thj and 20^th place, respectively.
• The Warriors won the Shacklette Invitational for the third time and first time since going back-to-back in both 2006 and 2007.

Up Next
Merrimack will head to southeastern Massachusetts next weekend to take part in the UMass Dartmouth Invitational.