Women's Cross Country News

NEW LONDON, Conn. --Junior Kirsti Fitzgerald (Mansfield, CT) has been named to the second team of the College Division District I Cross Country/Track and Field Squad in the Verizon Academic All-America Program.

After playing on the Camel soccer team in 2001, Fitzgerald had no problem making the transition into the Camel cross country program. In her first meet on September 14, Fitzgerald set a course record at the Roger Williams Invitational, finishing first on the 5k course with a time of 19:36. During the course of the season, Fitzgerald recorded the third fastest time for a Camel in the 6k distance (22:43-11/16) and the fourth fastest finish in the 5k distance (18:15-9/21).

Fitzgerald was named to the Division III All-New England Cross Country Team, the Division III Cross Country Coaches All-Academic Team, and the NESCAC Fall All-Academic Squad. She was voted rookie of the year and was named a 2003 captain by her teammates. Fitzgerald is majoring in German studies and minoring in European history. A resident of Mansfield Center, CT, Fitzgerald is a graduate of E.O. Smith High School in Storrs.

Verizon Academic All-America nominees must be starters or important reserves with legitimate athletic credentials and at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). Candidates must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing.

3/3: Camel Individuals & Team Attain Academic Honors

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The 2002 Connecticut College women's cross country squad enjoyed a solid season in the classroom as well as on the course.

The Camel women were awarded as Team Academic All-Americas for the 2002 season. The award is bestowed upon the club that has an average team grade point average of 3.10 or higher. The Camels have earned this lofty academic honor in every year since the award was initiated in 1992.

In addition to the team honor, the Camels had two individuals attain Individual Academic-All America Status. Senior captain Sarah Morgan (Concord, NH) and junior Kirsti Fitzgerald (Mansfield Center, CT) were each named individual Academic-All Americas for the 2002 season. The individual honor is rewarded by the NCAA Division III Cross Country Coaches Association to runners who finish in the top 25% of the field at the NCAA Regional meet and who also have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher. Under the direction of head coach Ned Bishop, the Camels have had 30 runners achieve this individual academic honor since its beginning in 1992.

Morgan and Fitzgerald were also two of 10 Connecticut College student-athletes named to the NESCAC All-Academic squad in the fall of 2002. The award is presented to a starter or key reserve competing in a varsity NESCAC sport with a grade point average of at least a 3.35. To be honored, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore academic standing at his or her institution.

11/19: Mary McCudden Finishes 91st at National Championship-Garden State Product is Eighth Fastest Freshman Finisher

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Freshman Mary McCudden of Middletown, New Jersey finished 91st out of 215 National Qualifiers at the NCAA Division III Championship in Northfield, MN. McCudden ran the 6K course in 23:15.9 and was the eighth fastest freshman to cross the finish line, concluding a fine freshman season for the Camels. Complete results are available at www.raceberryjam.com..

11/19: Mary McCudden Qualifies for NCAA Cross Country Championship

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Freshman Mary McCudden of Middletown, New Jersey has qualified for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship to be held at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN this weekend.

McCudden posted a time of 22:15 en route to an 18th place finish on the 6K course at the New England Division III Championship in Westfield, MA last weekend. It is the first time in program history a freshman runner has qualified for the NCAA Championship meet. The Camels finished 10th overall with a total of 273 points. Head Coach Ned Bishop was extremely proud of McCudden's performance Saturday under difficult running conditions. Snow was falling throughout the race and the temperature was in the low thirties.

"Mary has been a very steady and strong performer for us all season," Bishop stated. "She is a quietly determined runner and has improved as her confidence has grown. She's the first freshman from our team ever to qualify for the NCAA Championships, and she has exceeded all expectations I had for her coming into the season."

The Garden State product posted her fastest time in the 5K distance at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational September 21, finishing the course in 18:49. McCudden and teammate Kirsti Fitzgerald (Mansfield, CT) were both named to the All-New England team for their performances in Westfield this past weekend.

McCudden captained her cross country squad as well as her indoor and outdoor track squads at Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, NJ.

11/9: Camels Place 14th out of 42 Without Top Seven at ECACs in Williamstown

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Running without their top seven runners, the Connecticut College Women's Cross Country team finished 14th out of 42 competing institutions at the ECAC Division III Championship Meet in Williamstown, Mass. The Camels totaled 384 points, placing in the top third of the field. Williams College, the host institution, won the meet with 32 points.

Freshman Meredith Stebbins (Chicago, IL) finished 44th on the 6K course, posting a time of 25:50. Merritt Haswell (Skaneateles, NY) was the 61st runner across, with a time of 26:09. Carly Holbrook (Princeton, MA) logged a time of 26:33, finishing in 81st place.

Plainfield high school graduate Kim Bellavance of Moosup finished 90th with a time of 26:47. Chloe O'Connell (Hamden, CT) finished 99th with a time of 26:59. Caitlin Greeley (E. Greenwich, RI) registered a time of 27:23 and finished 113th overall. Lindsay Schakenbach (Jefferson, MA) rounded out the Camel finishers with a time of 27:24 and a 115th place finish. Please see the top 15 finishing institutions below.

1 WILLIAMS COLLEGE 32
2 US COAST GUARD ACADEMY 150
3 COLBY COLLEGE 204
4 MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE 212
5 AMHERST COLLEGE 214
6 SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE 238
7 ROGER WILLIAMS 251
8 TUFTS UNIV 286
9 WESLEYAN UNIV 295
10 VASSAR COLLEGE 311
11 BATES 314
12 PLATTSBURGH 315
13 KEENE STATE 344
14 CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 348
15 JOHNSON & WALES 371
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11/5: Maura Danahy '02 Finishes 20th at New York City Marathon

NEW LONDON, Conn. -Maura Danahy, a 2002 graduate of Connecticut College and resident of South Windsor, Connecticut, placed 20th overall and was the seventh American female finisher at the New York City Marathon Sunday. Danahy, a three-time All-American in cross country and two-time All-American in track & field at Connecticut College, made her debut at the marathon distance yesterday and turned in an Olympic Trials qualifying time of 2:47:37. The Women's Olympic
Trials Marathon will be held on April 4, 2004, in St. Louis, Missouri.

Danahy had a spectacular senior year at Connecticut College, finishing eleventh at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship, fifth in the 5000 meters at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championship, and third in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship. She set school records in every distance event from 1000 meters through 10,000 meters and met national qualifying standards in the 1500 meters, 5000 meters,10,000 meters and Distance Medley Relay.

Danahy was named the 2001 Connecticut Female Athlete of the Year by the Connecticut Sportswriters Alliance and was recipient of the Anita L. DeFrantz Award, given annually to the Connecticut College senior whose athletic ability,
leadership and sportsmanship best exemplify those qualities of Anita L. DeFrantz. DeFrantz, a 1974 graduate of Connecticut College, was a member of the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Rowing teams and is currently a member of the
International Olympic Committee.

Danahy's brother, Michael Danahy (Bates College '00), finished 38th overall and was the seventh American male finisher in Sunday's marathon. His time was 2:29:53.

11/2: Camels Place Ninth at NESCAC Championship with One of Top Runner's Sidelined

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Running without one of their top four runners, the Connecticut College Women's Cross Country team finished 9th at the NESCAC Championship in Grafton, Mass. Ranked 10th in the weekly New England Division III poll, the Camels tallied 224 points and finished ahead of Hamilton and Colby College.

Junior Kirsti Fitzgerald (Storrs, CT) was the top finisher for the Camels on the 5k course, placing 26th with a time of 19:18. Mary McCudden (Red Bank, NJ) finished 27th with a time of 19:19. Senior captain Sarah Morgan (Concord, NH) pulled in at 30th place with a time of 19:30. Anne Barreca (Brooklyn, NY) finished 73rd, posting a time of 20:23. Katie Sklarsky (Chicago, IL) was 85th with a time of 20:29. Elinor Pisano (Chappaqua, NY) and Meredith Stebbins (Chicago, IL) finished 94th and 95th respectively with identical times of 20:51.

Freshman Carly Holbrook (Princeton, MA) was the 110th finisher, posting a time of 21:31. Caitlin Greeeley (E. Greenwich, RI) was the 115th finisher with a time of 21:39. Lindsay Schakenbach (Jefferson, MA) pulled in at the 120th slot with a time of 21:45. Chloe O'Connell (Hamden, CT) ran at 22:00 and finished 123. Kim Bellavance of Moosup timed out at 23:32 and finished 127th.
1. Williams College 30
2. Middlebury College 50
3. Bowdoin College 107
4. Wesleyan University 142
5. Bates College 147
6. Trinity College 152
7. Tufts University 179
8. Amherst College 179
9. Connecticut College 224
10. Hamilton College 242
11. Colby College 260
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10/26: CAMELS WIN THAMES RIVER INVITATIONAL

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Connecticut College Women's Cross Country program, ranked 10th in the weekly New England Division III poll, placed first at the Thames River Invitational in New London Saturday afternoon. The Camels finished with 16 points, placing the top four finishers and five of the top six runners on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Caitlin Greeley (E. Greenwich, RI) topped the field with a time of 22:27. Meredith Stebbins (Chicago, IL) finished second with a time of 22:45. Carly Holbrook (Princeton, MA) placed third with a time of 22:53. Lindsay Schakenbach (Jefferson, MA) pulled in at fourth place at 22:54. Chloe O'Connell (Hamden, CT) finished sixth at 24:19. Merritt Haswell (Skaneateles, NY) placed ninth with a time of 25:03. Senior Lisette Partelow (Hamilton, NY) timed out at 25:32 for an 11th place finish. Meredith Miller and Addie Capaldi placed 14th and 15th respectively with times of 25:54 and 26:00. Bonnie Prokesch (Atlanta, GA) rounded out Camel finishers in the top 20, the junior finished 19th with a time of 29:14.

Scoring
1 CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 16
2 Roger Williams College 45
3 St. Joseph's College Inc.

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10/19: CAMELS PLACE THIRD at WILLIAMS COLLEGE INVITATIONAL

NEW LONDON, Conn. -The Connecticut College Women's Cross Country program placed third at the Williams College Invitational held in Wiliamstown, Mass. on Saturday afternoon. The Camels, ranked 10th in this week's New England Division III Poll, placed three runners among the top eight finishers en route to a third place finish with 79 total points. Junior Kirsti Fitzgerald (Storrs, CT) placed sixth overall on the 6000 meter course, posting a time of 24:06. Freshman Mary McCudden (Red Bank, NJ) placed seventh, with a time of 24:13. Senior co-captain Sara Morgan (Concord, NH) pulled in at eighth place with a time of 24:16. Anne Barreca (Brooklyn, NY) finished 22nd, running in 25:06. Junior Elinor Pisano (Chappaqua, NY) was the 36th place finisher, posting a time of 25:52. Freshman Sally Girouard (Fitchburg, MA) was 37th, finishing in 25:54. Katie Sklarsky (Chicago, IL) rounded out the top seven with a 43rd place finish in a time 26:06. The trio of Kirsti Fitzgerald, Mary McCudden, and Sara Morgan all merited placement on the All-Invitational team for their strong performances.
Top Five Finishers
1. WILLIAMS COLLEGE 19
2. HAVERFORD 64
3. CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 79
4. BENTLEY COLLEGE 116
5. RPI 148

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10/11: CAMELS PLACE 21st at ALL NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP in BOSTON

NEW LONDON, Conn. -The Connecticut College Women's Cross Country team, ranked ninth in this week's New England Division III Coaches Poll, placed 21st out of 45 competing institutions in the All New England Championships held at Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The Camels placed 21st out of 45 Division I, II and III schools with a total of 573 points and were eighth among all competing Division III schools. Boston College finished first with a total of 70 points. Williams College (97 pts.) and Brown University (115 pts.) placed second and third respectively. Nutmeg state native Kirsti Fitzgerald (Storrs, CT) was the top finisher for the Camels, placing 47th overall with a time of 18:43 on the 5000 meter course. Mary McCudden (Red Bank, NJ) finished 80th overall with a time of 19:05. Senior co-captain Sara Morgan (Concord, NH) finished 123rd with a time of 19:33. Freshman Sally Girouard (Fitchburg, MA) placed 164th overall at 20:01. Anne Barreca (Brooklyn, NY) finished with a time of 20:06, meriting a 170th place finish. Katie Sklarsky (Chicago, IL) slotted in the 187th position with a time of 20:17. Plainfield high school graduate Kim Bellavance of Moosup timed out at 20:56 for the Camels, finishing 233rd overall. The Connecticut College Camels will return to action on October 19, competing at the Williams College Invitational.
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10/5: HOST CAMELS CAPTURE FIRST PLACE at 18TH ANNUAL CONNECTICUT COLLEGE INVITATIONAL

NEW LONDON, Conn. -The Connecticut College Women's Cross Country program captured first place at the 18th annual Connecticut College Cross Country Invitational Saturday afternoon. Led by senior captain Sarah Morgan (Concord, NH), the Camels placed three runners in the top four overall, notching 32 points for the first place finish. Morgan finished second in the 5000 meter course with a time of 20:37. Mary McCudden (Red Bank, NJ) placed third with a time of 20:46. Junior Kirsti Fitzgerald (Storrs, CT) pulled in at fourth place with a time of 20:56. Freshman Sally Girouard (Fitchburg, MA) continues to impress, finishing eighth with a time of 21:22. Freshman Merritt Haswell (Skaneateles, NY) finished 16th with a time of 22:05. Sophomore Anne Barreca (Brooklyn, NY) placed 17th with a time of 22:13. Meredith Stebbins (Chicago, IL) finished 20th with a time of 22:27.

Top Five Finishers
1 CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 32
2 COAST GUARD 51
3 NYU 61
4 ROGER WILLIAMS 136
5 EASTERN CONNECTICUT 163

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9/28: Camels Finish Third at Bates

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Connecticut College Women's Cross Country program captured third place at the Bates College Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The Camels placed third with 63 points, finishing behind Colby (37 points) and Bates (43 points). The Camels ran without early season star Kirsti Fitzgerald (Storrs, CT), who was dealing with an aggravated Achilles.

Mary McCudden (Red Bank, NJ) was the Camels top placing runner, finishing fourth in the 6,000 meter course, with a time of 23:25. Senior captain Sarah Morgan (Concord, NH) merited a sixth place finish, posting a time of 23:42. Freshman Sally Girouard (Fitchburg, MA) placed 12th overall, with a time of 24:01. Katie Sklarsky (Chicago, IL) finished 19th, with a time of 24:58. Sophomore Anne Barreca (Brooklyn, NY) took the 24th position, with a time of 25:23. Freshman Meredith Stebbins (Chicago, IL) placed 26th, finishing in 25:28 while junior Elinor Pisano (Chappaqua, NY) took 30th place with a time of 26:08.

The Camels will host the 18th annual Connecticut College Invitational this Saturday at noon. The race is slated to commence at noon with the men's field to follow at 1:00 pm.

9/21: Camels Finish Fourth at UMass Dartmouth Invitational

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Connecticut College Women's Cross Country program took fourth place at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The Camels finished in the top four behind Trinity College (88 points), Brandeis University (91), and Amherst College (125). The Camels placed three runners in the top 25, all meriting a spot on the all-invitational team. Junior Kirsti Fitzgerald (Storrs, CT) followed up her record-breaking performance a week ago with a sixth place finish and a time of 18:15. Freshman Mary McCudden (Red Bank, NJ) placed 20th overall with a time of 18:49. Sally Girouard (Fitchburg, MA) had another solid showing with a 23rd place finish and a time of 19:02. Senior captain Sara Morgan (Concord, NH) narrowly missed the top 25 with a solid run time of 19:05. Kate Sklarsky (Chicago, IL), Kim Bellavance (Moosup, CT), and Merritt Haswell (Skaneateles, NY) rounded out the top seven runners for the Camels. Head Coach Ned Bishop was pleased with his clubs performance in a competitive field.

"This was a good race for us," Bishop asserted. "Our top four were very good and we narrowly missed having four on the All Invitational team with Sara's (Morgan) strong finish."

The Camels will travel to Maine next weekend for the Bates College Invitational.

RESULTS-1 Trinity 88, 2 Brandeis 91, 3 Amherst 125, 4 CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 159, 5 Stonehill 196, 6 Colby 197, 7 Bates 218, 8 Keene 219, 9 MIT 220, 10 Springfield 229, 11 Southern 307, 12 St Anselm 315, 13 S. Maine 396, 14 Roger Williams 400, 15 Coast Guard 450, 16 WPI 481, 17 Smith 488, 18 Bridgewater 558, 19 Westfield 568, 20 Lowell 595, 21 Babson 597, 22 Johnson & Wales 617, 23 UMDartmouth 624, 24 Salve Regina 722, 25 Eastern 739, 26 U New England 771, 27 New Haven 813, 28 Mt Ida 860, 29 Curry 863, 30 Gordon 897, 31 Emmanuel 920, 32 E Nazarene 921, 33 RI College 927, 34 Mass Maritime 1023, 35 St Joseph 1026, 36 Lasell 1077, 37 Newbury 1086, 38 Suffolk NS, 39 Worcester St NS, 40 Regis NS, 41 Navy Prep NS, 42 W New England NS, 43 CCRI NS, 44 UMBoston NS

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9/14: Camels Win Roger Williams Invitational: Fitzgerald's Course Record Highlights 1st Place Finish

The Connecticut College Women's Cross Country program captured first place at the Roger Williams Invitational in Bristol, Rhode Island this afternoon. Junior Kirsti Fitzgerald (Storrs, CT) broke the course record in her first cross country meet with a time of 19:34. The Camels place four runners in the top seven finishers on the afternoon. Mary McCudden (Red Bank, NJ) finished third overall with a time of 20:04. Freshman Sally Girouard (Fitchburg, MA) finished fifth with a time of 20:09 while senior captain Sarah Morgan (Concord, NH) finished seventh at 20:24.

Needless to say, Coach Ned Bishop was satisfied in his teams overall performance and in the efforts of Fitzgerald. "I'm satisfied with the way we started the season," Bishop asserted. "Kirsti's (Fitzgerald) performance went beyond my expectations for her first race."

The Camels will run at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational next Saturday afternoon.

9/2: Women's Cross Country Preview: Sarah Morgan Steps Up Into Senior Spotlight.

The Connecticut College women's cross country team has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in New England Division III Competition. The Camels have positioned themselves over the last two years as prime contenders for an NCAA team qualifying berth, falling just two places short in both 2000 and 2001.

Gone to graduation is three-time All-America selection Maura Danahy, fellow NCAA qualifiers Erin Walworth and Jennifer Stieg, and regular scorers Michelle Miller and Regina Mikulinsky. But the team remains intent on contending once again this fall as the 2002 lineup will feature a mix of strong returning runners with varsity experience and talented newcomers certain to make an immediate impact. Another top ten finish in the New England Division III Championship appears likely, and an NCAA team qualifying berth remains possible as New England receives five bids this year instead of the four of the last two seasons.

Three of the seven runners from the varsity lineup which missed an NCAA berth by only eight points two years ago will return to lead the way into the 2002 cross country season. Seniors co-captain Sarah Morgan will be a key factor in the Camels' success this fall. She has been among the top four finishers for the team in every meet over the past two years and will be a strong candidate for All-New England honors and a contender for an NCAA individual qualifying spot.

Seniors Katie Sklarsky and Sara Kelly have been regular contributors to the varsity lineup throughout their careers and have significant championship meet experience, which will benefit the team. Other returning runners who will factor into the team's fortunes include senior co-captain Kim Bellavance, junior Elinor Pisano, and sophomores Meredith Stebbins, Caitlin Greeley and Anne Barreca. Junior Kristi Fitzgerald, a top middle distance runner from the track team, should also contribute in her first year of cross country. Other runners who will provide depth for the squad include seniors Sarah Stauffer, Lisette Partelow, and Lindsey Meyer along with juniors Bonnie Prokesch, Stephanie Herbert and Tracy Weiss.

A talented freshman class is expected to have a significant impact on the team's varsity lineup. Sally Girouard and Mary McCudden both had excellent high school cross country and track careers and will have the opportunity to score for the Camels right away. Also joining the team will be Caitlin Corless, Allison Zelman, Merritt Haswell, Carly Holbrook, Lindsay Schakenbach, Chloe O'Connell, Meredith Miller and Addie Capaldi. As this group progresses over the course of the season one or more of them could crack the top seven.

Entering his 18th season as head coach of the program, Ned Bishop will lead the Camels in what should prove to be an exciting fall season