Skyhawks ranked no. 12 nationally and first in East Region

EASTON, Mass. (October 17, 2012) – The Stonehill College women's cross country team, ranked 12th overall in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Division II national poll and first in the East Regional poll, will look to capture its fourth-straight Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) championship and 11^th overall this Saturday in Syracuse, N.Y., hosted by Le Moyne College.

Since 2000, the Skyhawks have controlled the conference championship landscape winning ten out of a possible 12 titles during that span. Stonehill's lowest point total in a championship victory came in 2003 when the Skyhawks won its fourth-straight title at the time with 24 points scored. Stonehill claimed five-straight championships from 2000-2004, another pair of titles in 2006 & 2007 and have captured three-straight since then dating back to 2009.

Springfield College, a former member of the Conference, holds the record for most consecutive titles with 14-in-a-row spanning from 1981 to 1994.

Senior tri-captain Caroline McBride (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) has been the Skyhawks no. 1 runner all season long competing in three races this season. McBride finished 16^th overall at the Minutemen Invitational (hosted by UMass Amherst) on September 15 with a time of 19:08.24 on the 5-kilometer course to guide Stonehill to a second place finish overall. McBride also placed 98^th overall in 22 minutes and seven seconds on the 6-kilometer layout at the Paul Short Run on September 28.

In her most recent race, McBride ranked 33^rd overall at the New England Championships on October 7 with a time of 18:08.43. McBride enters this weekend's NE-10 Championships with back-to-back career best times on a 5-kilometer and 6-kilometer course.

Junior Chelsea Bishop (Suffield, Conn./Suffield) checks in as Stonehill's sure-fire no.2 harrier as the tri-captain has finished right behind McBride in every race this season. Bishop posted a 20^th place finish at the Minutemen Invitational (19:11.25), a 110^th place showing at the Paul Short Run (22:14) and also crossed the finish line directly in back of McBride at New England's in 34^th place (18:09.68). Much like McBride, the junior is coming off of two-straight career best times heading into Saturday.

Senior tri-captain Kristen Veit (Easthampton, Mass./Holyoke Catholic) rounds out the group of Skyhawks to watch this weekend. Veit will be in the mix for the number three spot in Stonehill's top-seven after coming off of a third place team showing at the New England Championships with a time of 18 minutes and 51.6-seconds. Veit has a strong track record at the NE-10 Championships as the senior placed eighth overall during her freshman campaign, 30^th overall as a sophomore and 12^th in 2011.

After the conclusion of the NE-10 Championships this Saturday, no.12 Stonehill returns to action on Sunday, November 4 at the NCAA Division II East Regionals in Nashua, N.H. at Mines Falls Park. The Skyhawks will look to capture their fourth-straight regional title and 13^th-straight trip to the NCAA Championships.