Preview: Women’s Cross Country Favored to Capture 18th NE10 Championship

Skyhawks aim to repeat last year's performance as they saw nine garner All-Conference honors 

Northeast-10 Conference Pre-Championship Women's Cross Country Poll

Championship Information and Maps


Lastra was the individual champion at the Championship last year, while she has totaled three All-Conference recognitions

EASTON, Massachusetts (October 24, 2019) - The Stonehill College women's cross country team, ranked No. 2 in the East Regional U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA), seeks its 18th Northeast-10 Conference Championship and 11th-straight title, this Sunday, October 27 at Jamesville Beach Park in Jamesville, New York, hosted by Le Moyne College. The women will kick off the Championship with a start time of 11:00 a.m. followed by the men at 12:15 p.m.

In the coaches' pre-championship poll, Stonehill led the way with 169 points and 13 first-place votes, while Southern New Hampshire University tallied 143 points and one first-place vote. Adelphi University (140 points), Assumption College (139 points), and Saint Anselm College (126 points) rounded out the top-five teams.

In the fall of 2014, Stonehill surpassed Springfield College for the most women's cross country titles in the NE10 with 13. The Skyhawks have been a dominant force over the past 19 years, winning 17 of 19 tries. In 2005 and 2008, Stonehill was not far behind as they posted runner-up marks to UMass Lowell both tries.

At last year's championship, the women dominated the course by placing five in the top 10. They also finished with nine receiving All-Conference honors. Senior Anna Lastra led the way, winning the program's fourth-straight individual title, which Emily Knox '18 won in 2017 and Nicole Borofski '17 won twice prior. This was the third time in Conference history that a school has won the individual title four-straight years, with Springfield College leading the way with six-straight individual titles spanning from 1987-92.

Seniors Lastra, Alyssa Freeman, and Jordan Callahan have the most experience at NE10 Championships, as they have competed in all three prior to this year. As a trio they have accumulated six All-Conference honors, as Lastra leads the way with three.

Junior Sam Curtin who has been a dominate force since she stepped foot on campus, returns after being the runner-up at the Championship last year at Hopkinton State Fairgrounds in Rindge, New Hampshire. This season, sophomore Siobhan O'Keefe has led the way for the Skyhawks in three of the four races, highlighting her season thus far with a 22nd-place finish at the New England Championships, where she placed 44th last year.

Sophomore Sophia Anderle who earned third team All-Conference last year and second team recognition her freshman year will also toe the line, while junior Jillian Howard and sophomore Isabella Kennedy will join the Skyhawks for their first time at the Championship, as Howard finished 61st and Kennedy placed 66th at the New England Championship.  

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Women's Cross Country Northeast-10 Championship Coaches' Pre-Championship Poll
1. Stonehill College -169 (13)
2. Southern New Hampshire University - 143 (1)
3. Adelphi University - 140
4. Assumption College - 139
5. Saint Anselm College - 126
6. Southern Connecticut State University - 93
7. American International College - 81
8. Bentley University - 78
9. Le Moyne College - 70
10. University of New Haven - 64
10. Franklin Pierce University  - 64
12. College of Saint Rose - 50
13. Saint Michael's College - 35
14. Pace University - 22
() - first place votes