WASHINGTON – The Atlantic 10 Conference held its first Women’s Cross Country championship in 1989. The seventh women’s sport to be added to the league, Penn State claimed the first women’s cross country title.
The Nittany Lions won the first two A-10 league titles. But Massachusetts quickly emerged as a powerhouse in the sport. UMass won its first A-10 Women’s Cross Country title in 1991 and claimed its second in 1992. The Minutewomen won five straight that spanned from 1995 to 1999. In that frame, UMass had three runners earn individual crowns. Rebecca Donaghue won it back-to-back in 1996 and 1997, while Kirstin Cisowski won in 1998. In total, Massachusetts had seven individual winners and seven team crowns.
La Salle joined the A-10in 1995, and six years later claimed its first A-10 Women’s Cross Country banner. That kicked off a dominant era for the Explorers in which they celebrated six championships in seven years. La Salle won back-to-back banners in 2001 and 2002 before proceeding to win four consecutive titles from 2004 to 2007. During that run, five Explorers won the individual title from 2002 to 2006. Sheila Klick was the individual champion in 2002 to 2003 and Rachel Papin won three straight from 2004 to 2006. Papin became the first and only athlete to win three individual crowns.
The Explorers have won the most team titles (eight), while Massachusetts was second in the conference with seven. Richmond is third amongst A-10 programs with five team banners. The Spiders became a full member of the Atlantic 10 in 2001 and quickly clinched their first team title two years later. Richmond again claimed banners in 2008, 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
Since Loyola Chicago’s move to the Atlantic 10, the Ramblers have become a force in the league. The Ramblers have claimed all three team titles in their three seasons, dominating the first A-10 championship in any sport.
In its 35 years as a league sport, the A-10 crowned 26 different individual champions and 11 A-10 programs as team champions. Eight women have won the individual crown twice, all in consecutive years: Wendy Nelson (PSU), Donaghue (UM), Christine Kane (SJU), Kilick (LAS), Papin (LAS), Megan Hogan (GW), Morgan Szekely (LAS), Heather MacLean (UM) and Lotte Black (URI).
Women’s Cross Country Champions
| Year |
Team Champion |
Score |
Individual Champion |
Time |
| 2024 |
Loyola Chicago |
36 |
Gwenno Goode (LAS) |
20:10.4 |
| 2023 |
Loyola Chicago |
65 |
Lauren Tunnell (VCU) |
20:50.6 |
| 2022 |
Loyola Chicago |
54 |
Elizabeth Mancini (LAS) |
16:38.6 |
| 2021 |
George Washington |
50 |
Annabelle Eastman (MASON) |
17:24.6 |
| 2020 |
Duquesne |
92 |
Lotte Black (URI) |
16:37.4 |
| 2019 |
La Salle |
68 |
Lotte Black (URI) |
17:38.8 |
| 2018 |
Richmond |
41 |
Taylor Vernot (UD) |
17:14.0 |
| 2017 |
Dayton |
42 |
Heather MacLean (UM) |
17:22.2 |
| 2016 |
Richmond |
77 |
Heather MacLean (UM) |
17:06.8 |
| 2015 |
Richmond |
87 |
Morgan Szekely (LAS) |
17:09.4 |
| 2014 |
Duquesne |
58 |
Morgan Szekely (LAS) |
17:31.2 |
| 2013 |
Duquesne |
53 |
Bethany Sachtleben (MASON) |
16:54.6 |
| 2012 |
Butler |
37 |
Katie Clark (BU) |
16:55.9 |
| 2011 |
La Salle |
69 |
Jill Prentice (UR) |
17:13.7 |
| 2010 |
Richmond |
43 |
Megan Hogan (GW) |
16:56 |
| 2009 |
Dayton |
72 |
Megan Hogan (GW) |
18:37.8 |
| 2008 |
Richmond |
48 |
Amanda Goetschius (CHA) |
17:37.7 |
| 2007 |
La Salle |
52 |
Christina DeRosa (UM) |
18:27 |
| 2006 |
La Salle |
26 |
Rachel Papin (LAS) |
17:41.25 |
| 2005 |
La Salle |
40 |
Rachel Papin (LAS) |
17:43.0 |
| 2004 |
La Salle |
35 |
Rachel Papin (LAS) |
17:48 |
| 2003 |
Richmond |
29 |
Sheila Klick (LAS) |
18:00.2 |
| 2002 |
La Salle |
52 |
Sheila Klick (LAS) |
17:39 |
| 2001 |
La Salle |
55 |
Kerry Hills (XU) |
17:56.7 |
| 2000 |
Saint Joseph’s |
55 |
Christine Kane (SJU) |
17:23 |
| 1999 |
Massachusetts |
44 |
Christine Kane (SJU) |
17:59.7 |
| 1998 |
Massachusetts |
35 |
Kristin Cisowski (UM) |
18:24 |
| 1997 |
Massachusetts |
28 |
Rebecca Donaghue (UM) |
18:32.5 |
| 1996 |
Massachusetts |
35 |
Rebecca Donaghue (UM) |
18:04.5 |
| 1995 |
Massachusetts |
46 |
Sue Yagielski (SJU) |
17:29.42 |
| 1994 |
West Virginia |
35 |
Melissa Langevin (UM) |
18:06 |
| 1993 |
Saint Joseph’s |
41 |
Vicki Boyer (SJU) |
18:56.71 |
| 1992 |
Massachusetts |
38 |
Alicia Giuliano (RU) |
17:43.20 |
| 1991 |
Massachusetts |
59 |
Vicki Stum (WVU) |
18:38.48 |
| 1990 |
Penn State |
29 |
Wendy Nelson (PSU) |
17:55.85 |
| 1989 |
Penn State |
32 |
Wendy Nelson (PSU) |
18:15 |
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