CONTOOCOOK, N.H. -- The Daemen University women's cross country team placed fourth out of 16 teams at Saturday's NCAA Division II East Regional Championship. In their 10th Regional Championship appearances, the Wildcats finished in the top seven for the seventh time. Daemen narrowly missed out on an automatic berth to the DII National Championships, which are given to the top three regional finishers. Fourth place matches the Wildcats' second best Regional result, equaling their marks in 2015 and 2016.
 
Full Results
 
Daemen posted a team score of 143 in the race, trailing team champion Southern Connecticut State (44), Roberts Wesleyan (53) and Jefferson (Pa.) (77). The Wildcats entered the event ranked ninth in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Regional Rankings.
 
Senior Patsy Oberholzer (Greece, N.Y.) earned All-Region honors for the first time in her career, securing a 6K time of 22:48.71, finishing 13th overall (116 total runners) and setting the pace for Daemen, as she has done in every race this season. She was 30th in the individual standings at the Regional Championships last year. Oberholzer added her All-Region selection to her First Team All-ECC honors at the East Coast Conference Championships last month.
 
Senior Christa Oates (Tonawanda, N.Y.) also picked up her first career All-Region selection, finishing 19th with a time of 23:04.60, second among Daemen runners and just three seconds shy of her personal best 6K time. Oates improved eight positions from her Regional Championships result from 2024. She was also a Second Team All-ECC selection this season.
 
Sophomore Kylie Piekarski (Lancaster, N.Y.) was the third Daemen finisher and 43rd individually, posting a 6K time of 24:34.22 in her first career appearance at the Regional Championships. Senior Madeline Straub (Olean, N.Y.) also made her Regional Championships debut and came in 50th place with a 24.55.70, fourth among Wildcat athletes and a 6K personal best mark. 
 
Senior Hayley Pizur (Grand Island, N.Y.) was 68th with a time of 25:42.49 while freshmen Raegan Giardini (West Clarksville, N.Y.) placed 71st (25:55.81) in her first career 6k race. 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 University cross country/track and field program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenXCTF