HOPKINTON, N.H. – The Daemen University women's cross country team finished fifth out of 15 teams at the 2023 NCAA Division II East Region Championships on Saturday morning. The East Region of the NCAA Division II is comprised of teams affiliated with the East Coast Conference, the Northeast-10 Conference and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. Franklin Pierce University served as the regional host.
FULL RESULTS
Southern Connecticut State, the top ranked team in the region coming into today's meet, placed their top five runners in the top-20 today to win the region with a team score of 58. Roberts Wesleyan, which won their ninth straight ECC Championship two weeks ago, had the third, fourth and ninth place runners and finished with 70 points for a second-place regional finish. Southern New Hampshire, the 2022 East Region champions, posted a team score of 109 as the final team to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA National Championship.
Adelphi's speedy twins Isabel and Katherine Marsh placed one and two on the day, with Isabel Marsh pacing the field of 117 runners with a first-place time of 21:37.98. Bentley's Caitlin Burmester finished fifth overall and earned an automatic bid to Nationals along with the Marsh twins as the first three finishers not on one of the top three teams.
The Wildcats placed three runners in the top 25 finishers on the day and posted a team score of 127 in their final meet of the 2023 season.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Three Wildcats earned All-Region honors from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) after finishing in the top-25 today.
- Senior Camryn Bailey (Geneva, N.Y.) was the first Wildcat to cross the finish line for the third straight meet this season, placing 18th overall with a 6K PR of 22:40.88. Bailey shaved 40 seconds off her previous PR of 23:20.7 set at the 2023 Highlander Invitational this afternoon. She earned All-Region honors for the second straight season.
- Fifth year senior Hannah Thomas (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) crossed the finish line right behind Bailey, posting a 19th-place finish with a PR time of 22:51.16, 18 seconds faster than her previous 6K personal best (23:09.7 at the 2023 Highlander Invitational). Thomas earned All-Region honors for the first time in her career.
- Sophomore Patsy Oberholzer (Greece, N.Y.) placed 23rd overall with a PR time of 22:56.7 to earn All-Region honors for the first time in her career. Oberholzer was 29 seconds faster than her previous PR (23:25.2 set at the 2022 Highlander Invitational) this afternoon.
- Graduate student Courtney Merrill (Speedway, Ind.) finished 30th with a time of 23:12.8 on the day.
- Junior Emma Cain (Lockport, N.Y.) rounded out the Daemen scoring with a personal-best 35th place finish, posting a 6K PR time of 23:34.67. She shaved 18 seconds off her previous PR (23:52.7), set at the 2021 East Region Championships.
- Sophomore Hayley Pizur (Grand Island, N.Y.) competed in her fist East Region Championship and finished 83rd with a PR time of 26:15.76, 36 seconds faster than her previous PR (26:51.5 at 2023 Highlander Invitational).
Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.
Follow the Daemen women's cross country program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenXCTF.
