Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships
Bison Trio Claims All-League Honors as Women's XC Places Second at Patriot League Championship
10/27/2012 8:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 27, 2012
HAMILTON, N.Y. – For the second year in a row, Bucknell women's cross country finished runner-up to Navy at the Patriot League Championship. Led by First Team All-Patriot League selection Caroline Tolli (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport), the Bison finished with 68 points in the team standings in Hamilton, N.Y., on Saturday afternoon. Deanna Godby (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield) and Katie Jessee (Concord, Mass./Concord Carlisle) were also second-team honorees, giving Bucknell a trio of all-league citations for the fourth consecutive season.
Tolli was seventh overall with a time of 22:56.0 on the six-kilometer course. Including her fifth-place showing a year, ago, the senior has been named to the conference's first team in each of the last two seasons.
Tolli has been Bucknell's lead runner in all but one race this fall. The lone exception to her streak came at Saint Francis last month where she was topped by Godby. Godby again was among the best Bison on the course on Saturday as she finished second on the team and 10th overall with a time of 23:14.9. Jessee was close behind with a 13th-place finish and a time of 23:28.0 to go along with it. Both Godby and Jessee were named Second Team All-Patriot League for their outing, giving them a league award for the first time in each of their careers.
Alison Billas (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) and Meghan Carroll (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) were 16th and 22nd overall, respectively. Those finishes helped bring Bucknell's team points total to 68, making them second to Navy, which finished with 46 points.
The Midshipmen, which also claimed the individual title thanks to sophomore Annie-Norah Beveridge, have now won the Patriot League title in each of the last two years. They are the first team to repeat since Bucknell took the team trophy from 2005-07.
“Our ladies ran a very aggressive race to go for the win and a few paid a price later in the race,” said head coach Kevin Donner after the meet. “I was very proud our three freshmen in Godby, Billas and Carroll. They responded beautifully for their first-ever league meet.
“Our team depth enabled us to win a runner-up trophy since sickness and injury made this season a tough one.”
Rounding out the top half of the team standings was Army in third (78 points) and Lehigh in fourth (84). They were followed by fifth-place Colgate (147), Lafayette and Holy Cross (168), which tied for sixth and American (171) in eighth.
Bucknell will have a week off before it returns to action at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. The qualifier for the National Championships is set for Nov. 9 at University Park, Pa.
TOP BUCKNELL FINISHERS
7. Caroline Tolli – 22:56.0 (First Team All-Patriot League)
10. Deanna Godby – 23:14.9 (Second Team All-Patriot League)
13. Katie Jessee – 23:28.0 (Second Team All-Patriot League)
16. Alison Billas – 23:36.5
22. Meghan Carroll – 23:49.4
24. Hana Casalnova – 23:57.4
25. Zoe Gaston – 23:58.3
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Navy – 46
2. Bucknell – 68
3. Army – 78
4. Lehigh – 84
5. Colgate – 147
T6. Lafayette – 168
T6. Holy Cross – 168
8. American – 171
