Teams: Women's Cross Country: Press Releases

Monday, September 8, 2008

McNAMARA WINS 2008'S FIRST NESCAC CROSS COUNTRY PERFORMER OF THE WEEK AWARD

MEDFORD -- Sophomore Stephanie McNamara (North Attleborough, MA/North Attleborough) of the Tufts women's cross country team has picked up where she left off last season.

McNamara was 30th at the NCAA Division III Championship Race last fall to earn All-American honors. A first-year member of the veteran-led 2007 team, she returned this season as a young leader of Coach Kristen Morwick's 2008 Jumbos. She set the tone early, winning the season-opening Trinity College Invitational on Saturday. With that, she captured the first New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Performer of the Week award as a result.

Competing at the hilly, 4.25-kilometer course at Wickham Park in Manchester, Connecticut under very humid conditions, McNamara blew away the field of 175 runners. She won in a time of 16:31 that was 21 seconds ahead of second-place Lyra Clark of UMass Lowell (16:52). McNamara's winning effort led Tufts to an easy team victory. The Jumbos had all five of their scorers finish in the top 16 on the way to scoring 48 points. Stonehill College placed second with 95 points.

McNamara was fourth at the Trinity Invitational for her collegiate debut with a 17:18 time last fall.

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