AMHERST, N.Y. -- The Daemen University women's cross country team is ranked sixth in the East Region in the Division II U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason Regional Rankings, the league announced on Tuesday afternoon. Daemen finished the 2024 season third in the East Region and punched their ticket to the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championship last year for the second time in three seasons.
Ranked third of eight teams in the 2025 East Coast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, the Wildcats return seven runners this season, including four of Daemen's top-seven runners from 2024. Second Team All-ECC runners
Patsy Oberholzer (Greece, N.Y.) and
Christa Oates (Tonawanda, N.Y.) are both back after finishing between third and fourth on the team for the majority of last season. Sophomore
Lia Brasacchio (Victor, N.Y.) put together a strong freshman campaign and looks to factor into the top five scorers in 2025. Gratien added two freshman to the 2025 roster to round out the team at nine runners.
The Wildcats will open up the 2025 season on Saturday, Sept. 6 at the Doug Watts Open in Edinboro, Pa. hosted by Edinboro University. It is the first of six races that Daemen will run in this year.
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.
