Montclair State University’s Women’s Cross Country Team finished in 11th place at the NCAA Metro Division Regional Championship. This placement is their best finish in school history.
The NCAA Metro Division Region Championship is a race that comprises of the best cross-country teams in the region to vie for a spot in the NCAA National Championship. This year, 25 teams in the metro division region competed for the top spot.
The NCAA Metro Division Regional Championship was hosted by Stockton University this year, the same course as the Red Hawks’s first two meets of the season. Coming into the championship season consecutively ranked in the USTFCCCA Metro Region Rankings, the Montclair State University Women’s Cross Country Team was confident in their ability to perform well.
Denisse Aguilar was first for the Red Hawks with a time of 23:08.4 She came across the finish line in 16th place, earning All-Region honors.
Athletes earn All-Region distinction by receiving a top-35 finish at one of the 10 NCAA Cross Country Regional locations. The 10 regional sites are as follows: Metro Region, Great Lakes Region, Mid-Atlantic Region, Mideast Region, Midwest Region, Niagara Region, North Region, South Region, East Region, and West Region.
Montclair State University’s Women’s Cross Country Team finished in 11th place at the NCAA Metro Division Regional Championship. | Photo Courtesy of Montclair State Athletics.
Aguilar was the only Red Hawk to join this highly prestigious and elite group of runners. She said that all of her efforts in training led to this moment.
“Ever since last year’s regional meet when I missed All-Region, I told Coach Paul [Chegwidden] ‘I’ll be up there next year coach’, so to go out and do just that was relieving and encouraging” recalled Aguilar.
Julie Murphy finished second for the Red Hawks in a time of 23:48.9. Her time put her in the top 50 in the race at 39th place.
Rounding out the top five were Aubrey Johnson (59th), Brianna Roddy (90th), and Jordan Bohrer (96th). These ladies with the help of Liliana Snyder and Mia Gerace earned the Red Hawks their best finish in school history at NCAA Metro Division Regionals this year.
The coaches were thrilled with the team’s placement at regionals, especially first-year head coach Peter Tuohy. He believes that their performance will carry on to a victorious track and field season.
These cross-country runners look for continuing success in the indoor track and field season. | Photo Courtesy of Montclair State Athletics.
“The whole meet was awesome,” says Tuohy. “I think it does a really good job at setting the tone for what we want to do moving forward next year, that this team can, and should be a top 10 team every year, and that’s what we want to do. You want to take the momentum from cross-country and roll it right into the indoor track and field season”
In conjunction with sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers and throwers, these cross-country runners look for continuing success in the indoor track and field season.
