MANNING, MURPHY, SMITH-KING EARN CROSS COUNTRY HONORS
MEDFORD -- The Tufts University women's cross country team surprised everyone but themselves this fall by earning a berth into the 1999 NCAA Division III National Championship Race. Then the Jumbos went to Wisconsin and finished 11th out of 24 teams at Nationals.As a result, three members of the program earned National honors. Seniors Cindy Manning (Valparaiso, IN/Valparaiso) and Caitlin Murphy (Norwell, MA/Notre Dame Academy) earned All-American recognition for their high finishes at the National Championship Race. Head coach Branwen Smith-King was named the NCAA New England Region Coach of the Year after guiding the team to its first Nationals appearance.
Manning was the top Tufts finisher at the 1999 Nationals held at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winnecome, Wisconsin on November 20. She completed the 5K race with a 17:32.1 time for 22nd place overall. Murphy was close behind in 34th place overall with a 17:40.2 finish. The Top 35 earned All-American honors. Joined by junior Leslie Crofton's (Somerset, MA/Someret) 57th place effort (17:56.0), Manning and Murphy's low scores led the team as it barely missed a Top 10 placement.
Smith-King, who recently completed her 17th season as head coach of the Jumbos, was named Coach of the Year by the United States Track Coaches Association and Mondo Surfacing. Tufts qualified as a team entrant for the NCAA Division III Championship by placing third at the 37-team New England Regional Race held November 13. The Jumbos, who placed sixth at their conference championship, stunned several schools at the New England Regional by taking the final berth for the national meet.
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