Stewart, Mundell All-CAA, JMU Third at CAA Championships

Saturday, November 1

Boston, Mass.

11 a.m.

James Madison University

CAA Championship

Stewart, Mundell All-CAA, JMU Third at CAA Championships

11/1/2014 2:30:00 PM | Cross Country

BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Kathleen Stewart (Holland, Pa./Council Rock South) and sophomore Tessa Mundell (Mohnton, Pa./Governor Mifflin) both placed in the top 10 to lead the James Madison women's cross country team to a third-place team finish at the 2014 Colonial Athletic Association Championships Saturday morning at Franklin Park.

Stewart and Mundell were named to the All-CAA Team by virtue of them finishing in the top 12 after notching career-best finishes and times at the conference meet. It was the first of Stewart's career while Mundell was a repeat honoree on the team.

Stewart, who led the Dukes in all five races she competed in this year, hung with the lead pack and placed third overall with a time of 20:58.48, just 13.13 seconds off the lead pace in the 6,000-meter race. It was also 40 spots better than her 2013 placement (43rd) and 36 places better than her freshman year in 2012 (39th).

JMU's No. 2 runner this season, Mundell, earned her second All-CAA award in as many years after she completed the course with a personal-best time of 21:37.58, good for ninth place. It was three slots better than her 2013 finish when she rounded out the all-conference squad in 12th place.

Sophomore Carol Strock (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) was Madison's third runner to complete the CAA race after she took 22nd in 22:21.60. Shortly after, senior Rachel Hagen (Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls) registered a 27th-place finish (24th scoring) with a time of 22:35.95. Rounding out JMU's team score was freshman Erica Gray (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury), who placed 29th (26th scoring) with a mark of 22:44.48.

William & Mary won the CAA crown for the third straight year and 20th all-time after finishing the race with four top-10 finishes and 35 points. The Tribe was led by Carolyn Hennessey, who won the individual title with a time of 20:45.35.

CAA newcomer Elon took runner-up honors, finishing with 46 points after three runners placed in the top 10. The Phoenix' top performer in the race was Lucy Young, who was one spot ahead of Stewart in second place with a time of 20:50.78.

JMU tallied 84 points (3-9-22-24-26) as a team to record a third-place finish. Following the Dukes were Northeastern (118), Delaware (121), College of Charleston (141), Towson (195), UNCW (220) and Hofstra (285).

Seven other runners ran Saturday for James Madison, led by freshman Nicole Goff (Yorktown, Va./Grafton), who finished 30th in 23:14.94. Senior Tiel Westbrook (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) returned to race in her final conference meet and placed 51st in 23:41.07.

Other finishers included freshman Haley Mahn (Pennington, N.J./Hopewell Valley), sophomore Meghan Malloy (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial), senior Kristen Landry (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes), freshman Nora Raher (Centreville, Va./Chantilly) and freshman Leslie Weidner (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley).

JMU returns to action on Friday, Nov. 14 when it competes at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. The women's region race is set for a noon start.

JMU Finishers:
Kathleen Stewart – 3rd – 20:58.78 – All-CAA
Tessa Mundell – 9th – 21:37.58 – All-CAA
Carol Strock – 22nd – 22:21.60
Rachel Hagen – 27th (24th scoring) – 22:35.95
Erica Gray – 29th (26th scoring) – 22:44.48
Nicole Goff – 40th – 23:14.94
Tiel Westbrook – 51st – 23:41.07
Haley Mahn – 55th – 23:49.36
Meghan Malloy – 57th – 23:54.61
Kristen Landry – 59th – 24:02.77
Nora Raher – 61st – 24:08.26
Leslie Weidner – 79th – 25:44.66