Rogers Leads the Way for Worcester State at Division III Cross Country Championship

GORHAM, Maine – Worcester State University's Mia Rogers (North Dighton, Mass.) ran a remarkable race at the Division III New England Cross Country Championships on Saturday, helping her team to a 21^st place of 56 teams at the meet.

THE BASICS

November 11, 2017

DIII New England Championships

TEAM SCORES

1^st Place: MIT (58)
2^nd Place: Tufts (92)
3^rd Place: Williams (106)
4^th Place: Middlebury (113)
5^th Place: Bates (150)
6^th Place: Amherst (183)
7^th Place: Colby (241)
8^th Place: Brandeis (287)
9^th Place: Wesleyan (288)
10^th Place: WPI (311)
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21^st Place: Worcester State (705)

WORCESTER STATE TOP-7

31^st Place: Mia Rogers (22:14.1)
140^th Place: Justine Murdocca (23:50.3)
146^th Place: Kelsey Bedard (23:54.5)
180^th Place: Riley Shaughnessy (24:26.7)
221^st Place: Shaylee Puleo (24:54.1)
260^th Place: Amanda Gevry (23:31.2)
275^th Place: Emily Dickson (25:54.3)

RECAP

MIT was tabbed the Division III New England Champions as their scorers were all in the top-20 of the race. Tufts came in second place with a score of 92, while Williams took third place with a 106. Coast Guard's rookie Kaitlyn Mooney took the individual title as she completed the 6K in a time of 20:22.6 on the cold and windy day. Amherst College's Nicky Roberts and Tufts' Brittany Bowman took second and third places, respectively.

Worcester State's Rogers ran an incredible 22:14.1 on the course, which was good for 31^st place of 393 female runners at the race. The Lancers' Justine Murdocca (Milford, Mass.) was the next Lancers to cross the finish line in a time of 23:50.3. Kelsey Bedard (Leominster, Mass.) wasn't far behind as she recorded a 23:53.5 time on the course. Of the MASCAC teams in attendance, Worcester State was edged by Westfield State, 644-705, as Westfield State's Jessica Cardin came in 15^th and helped her team to a 20^th place finish, just edging the Lancers.

COACHES CORNER

"The year's NCAA Division III New England XC Championship competitive field of 393 runners is arguably one of the best in years, and Mia ran a superlative race," mentioned head coach Gary Jusseaume. "This was her best NCAA performance to date (67th in 2015 and 40th in 2016)."

"We now have to wait for the NCAA to select the at-large competitors from around the country to fill the competitive field for the NCAA National Championships," said Jusseaume.  "Mia is essentially on the bubble at this point.  Nevertheless, Mia's entire season and race today establish her as one of the premier runners in New England."

Jusseaume also commented on Murdocca and Bedard's races, "I'm pleased with Justine's progress through the entire season and culminating with an appearance 

in this meet and a respectable time of 23:50.3. Kelsey's 23:54.5 personal best performance in this meet, coupled with a superb performance in the MASCAC Championship clearly defines her maturity as a collegiate runner."

UP NEXT

The top two teams and top seven individuals earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III National Championship. Worcester State will await the NCAA women's selections, which will be released tomorrow (Nov. 12).

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