It was a cold and brisk autumn day in Terra Haute, Ind., where the NCAA Cross Country Championships were being held. Looking to put the finishing touches on a memorable year, the Stony Brook Seawolves Women’s Cross Country team was determined to stand out in crowd that encompassed the best teams from around the country. This would be the first time in Stony Brook history that the women’s team was qualified to run in the NCAA championship.
By NCAA rules, the teams have to present seven of their best runners to complete the course. On their way to Indiana were Jessica Hampson, Dana Hastie, Holly Van Dalen, Kerry Salzano, Laura Huet, Lucy Van Dalen, and Elizabeth Carlson.
‘ Standout sophomore Jessica Hampson from Smithtown, New York, was determined to lead her team by example.
Located on the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, the Stony Brook team finished 31st in the standings. Jessica Hampson finished in the top 100 runners in a field of 253 runners with a total time of 21:27.9. She finished the 2K time at 6:51 and the 4K time at 14:07. It was a modest finish for the sophomore considering the talent in the field, finishing only two minutes from the top runner from Texas Tech.
The remaining six runners all finished in the top 200. Dana Hastie, the senior from New Zealand, finished 148th, less than a minute behind Hampson with a time of 22:15. The two young phenoms from New Zealand, Holly and Lucy Van Dalen finished 154th, with a time of 22:18, and 169th, with a time of 22:33, respectively.
Rounding off the seven women was Kerry Salzano with a time of 22:18 at 155th place and Elizabeth Carlson in 175th place at 22:35. The strong six here all finished within 20 seconds of each other, giving Stony Brook a strong and modest showing for their first foray into the world of national NCAA Championships.
Coach Andy Ronan was just recently announced as the 2007 Northeast Region Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. Ronan, who is in his eighth season as Stony Brook Coach, could only express pride and delight in his team for their hard work this year, overcoming numerous obstacles and doubts to place 31st in the nation of top Cross Country teams. Their hard work and sacrifice paid off, and even though the season has come to an end, Coach Ronan and the returning runners look forward to next season, to improve on an already memorable year.