University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Atlantic 10 Championship
Umass Women Win Fifth Straight A-10 Cross Country Title
October 30, 1999 | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 30, 1999
PHILADELPHIA - The UMass women?s cross country team won their fifth straight Atlantic 10 title today at Belmont Plateau. The Minutewomen won the meet for the seventh time in nine years, placing four runners in the top 10 and finishing with 44 points. La Salle was the runner-up with 70 points, followed closely by Virginia Tech in third place with 76 points. UMass head coach Julie LaFreniere was named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, her sixth such honor in the ?90s.
Senior Nicole Way (Marstons Mills, Mass.) led the Minutewomen to the title, finishing in third place. Way?s 18:40.7 performance earned her All-Atlantic 10 honors for the second time in her career. Last season?s individual champion, sophomore Kristin Cisowski (Salem, N.H.) finished right behind Way in 18:42.3. Senior Sharon Tillotson (Wantagh, N.Y.) earned her first All-Atlantic 10 honors with a seventh place overall finish in 18:47. Junior Melissa Henderson (Abington, Mass.) finished just behind Tillotson in 18:48.2, earning her third straight All-Atlantic 10 honor. Senior Elizabeth Sheptyck (North Eastham, Mass.) rounded out the scoring for the 1999 champions, placing 22nd overall in 19:23.2.
UMass will send their top seven runners to the NCAA Northeast Regional in Boston on Nov. 13. The top two teams at this event will go on to compete in the NCAA National Championships in Bloomington, Indiana, on Nov. 22. TEAM SCORES: 1. UMass 44 pts. 2. La Salle 70 pts. 3. Virginia Tech 76 pts. 4. St. Joseph?s 124 pts. 5. Dayton 160 pts. 6. Rhode Island 161 pts. 7. Duquesne 167 pts. 8. Fordham 169 pts. 9. Xavier 229 pts. 10. George Washington 267 pts. 11. St. Bonaventure
TOP FIVE UMASS FINISHERS: 1. Nicole Way 3rd 18:40.7 2. Kristin Cisowski 4th 18:42.3 3. Sharon Tillotson 7th 18:47 4. Melissa Henderson 8th 18:48.2 5. Elizabeth Sheptyck 22nd 19:23.2 COACH OF THE YEAR: Julie LaFreniere, UMass INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION: Christine Kane, St. Joseph?s OUTSTANDING ROOKIE: Tara McAteer, La Salle
