Ready, Set, Cross Country is Going to Nationals!

For the first time in Stevens Cross Country history, the Women’s Cross Country team has earned an at-large bid to the 2016 NCAA National Championship.

NCAA gives at-large bids to teams based on how well they did at regionals, as well as in the regular season. While Stevens didn’t beat Oneonta and RPI at regionals, the team won earlier in the season and placed in the top six of the Atlantic region. Our region is very strong, and six teams got into the Championship, including four with at-large bids.

Stevens solidified the bid with a fifth-place finish at the Atlantic Regional, where senior Amy Regan placed first and sophomore Mary Visca took fifth with a 30 second faster 6K personal record.

“Everyone worked extremely hard over the summer with this goal in mind, so it’s awesome to see that hard work paying off,” Visca reminisces. She remembers the early morning jogs, particularly a long run, way before sunrise, prior to the flight to Louisville, Kentucky for regionals.

Now with the chance to return to Louisville, Visca hopes to place as an All-American, one of the top 35 runners. Regan is looking to get her 2nd national XC title.

This isn’t the first time Visca, a chemical biology major and a member of Theta Phi Alpha, received a nod from NCAA. Last year, she earned an individual bid in her rookie season. Other achievements this year include placing second at Oneonta airfield invitational, where Regan placed first, and ultimately beating them during the season. She also placed sixth in pre-nationals and placed a personal record in the 6K.

Visca credits the team dynamic of strong support with helping her get this far. “Our team is really supportive of each other. We are all very different people, but we all have a common goal. We love to have fun and we’re always cracking jokes. Some memorable moments we have are always going to Smoothie King after long runs, it’s a team tradition.”

This season, the team beat ranked teams such as RPI and Oneonta, placing sixth at pre-regionals and second at E8s.

For nationals, the team’s common goal is to beat or match their current national ranking (25th).

“Qualifying for nationals as a team has been a goal for many years, since Coach Wood took over the program. It feels amazing to accomplish this goal. It will also put us on the map and also bolster Stevens’s athletic’s reputation.” Visca states that not only is this feat beneficial to the team for their record and experience, but also for the entire university.

Unfortunately, Stevens isn’t offering free tickets to go watch in Kentucky, but you can follow @stevensducks and @stevensxc_tf on Twitter and Instagram for regular updates. The national championship race is scheduled for 11 am EST on Saturday, Nov. 19 in Louisville.

GO DUCKS!