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MECHANICSVILLE, Va. – The Duquesne Dukes captured the 2013 Atlantic 10 Women’s Cross Country Championship Saturday morning with 53 points and an average time of 17:28.90. Bethany Sachtleben of George Mason was the individual winner with a time of 16:54.6. The Women’s 5K race was held at Pole Green Park and hosted by the University of Richmond.
The Dukes finished with six competitors in the top 20, including Amber Valimont, Haley Pisarcik and Valerie Palermo who all finished in the top 10 to help collect the first A-10 title in Duquesne history.
Duquesne coach Tom Slosky won Coach of the Year honors for the Dukes and Marisa Ruskan of Richmond was named Most Outstanding Rookie as the top freshman finisher (8th place).
The Spiders finished second with an average time of 17:34.06 and 73 points with the help of Jill Prentice’s second-place finish. La Salle took third with 118 points and an average time of 17:55.12, while Saint Louis followed in fourth with 119 points and an average time of 17:51.48. Massachusetts rounded out the top five with 152 points and an average time of 18:07.40.
With a score of 154 and an average time of 18:06.74, Saint Joseph’s finished sixth. Dayton came in seventh with 163 points, while George Mason followed in eighth with 200 points. Fordham and Rhode Island rounded out the top 10 with ninth and tenth finishes, respectively. St. Bonaventure and VCU took the final two spots.
Along with Sachtleben, Valimont, Pisarcik, Palermo, Ruskan and Prentice, Margo Richardson (Saint Louis), Tara Hanley (Richmond), Michelle Capozzi (La Salle), Jessica Hoefert (Saint Louis), Nicole Cargill (Dayton), Elizabeth Barrett (St. Joe’s), Kerry Caher (St. Bonaventure), Paige Ethier (Rhode Island) and Annika Gomell (Saint Louis) were all named to the 2013 Atlantic 10 All-Conference team.
2013 Atlantic 10 Conference
Women’s Cross Country Championship Awards
Champion
Duquesne
Runner-up
Richmond
Coach of the Year
Tom Slosky, Duquesne
Most Outstanding Performer
Bethany Sachtleben, George Mason
Rookie of the Year
Marisa Ruskan, Richmond
All-Conference Team
Bethany Sachtleben, George Mason
Jill Prentice, Richmond
Margo Richardson, Saint Louis
Amber Valimont, Duquesne
Tara Hanley, Richmond
Haley Pisarcik, Duquesne
Michelle Capozzi, La Salle
Marisa Ruskan, Richmond
Jessica Hoefert, Saint Louis
Valerie Palermo, Duquesne
Nicole Cargill, Dayton
Elizabeth Barrett, Saint Joseph’s
Kerry Caher, St. Bonaventure
Paige Ethier, Rhode Island
Annika Gomell, Saint Louis
