Wells XC Sends First-Ever Team To NCAA Regionals

ATLANTIC REGIONAL WEBSITE (Courtesy of SUNY Geneseo)

AURORA, N.Y. – For the first time in school history, a complete women's cross country team from Wells College will be sent to compete at the NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional Cross Country Championship at Letchworth State Park this Saturday, Nov. 16. The women will participate in a 6K at 11:00 a.m. while the men will compete in an 8K commencing at 12:30 p.m.

Individual runners from Wells made their first appearances at the NCAA Regionals in 2011, but for the first time since the women's cross country program debuted in 2006, a team from Wells will qualify with a score at the event. Junior Paul Hernon (New Hartford, N.Y.) from the men's cross country team will be the lone male representative from Wells competing at NCAA Regionals.

With five female runners from the women's cross country squad listed to compete, first year Head Coach Dr. Jack Daniels is taking the program's next step by having a full squad face-off against the region's best talent.

Junior Emily Middlebrook (Newark, N.Y.), who has competed for Wells at the regional level in 2011 and 2012, will make her third and final appearance for the Express at NCAA's. A two-time North Eastern Athletic Conference runner of the year, Middlebrook placed second at the 2013 NEAC Championships and heads into her final collegiate race this Saturday before graduating from Wells  two semesters early.

Since joining the Express as a freshman, Middlebrook has placed first amongst Wells competitors in 22 consecutive races dating back to the Wildcat Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 3, 2011. A three-time winner of First Team All-Conference honors, Middlebrook was also tabbed as the league's Rookie of the Year in 2011 and was the College's Female Student-Athlete of the Year in 2012.

Making her second collegiate appearance at the NCAA Regionals, sophomore Katie Lamanna (Constableville, N.Y.) had a strong second season for the Express. Only a year removed from Third Team All-Conference honors at the league's Championship, Lamanna picked up Second Team for Wells after finishing 13th as an individual for the Express on Nov. 2, 2013.

Named the team's Rookie of the Year in 2012, Lamanna set a career-best 5K time of 21:29.7 at the Cross Country Only Championship on Oct. 19, 2013. Setting a personal 5K record of 22:28 at the Roberts Wesleyan Harry S. Anderson Invitational last season on Sept. 29, 2012, all of Lamanna's 5K times in 2013 eclipsed her previous season's times across the same distance.

Freshman Deaven Theriault (Ludlow, Mass.) recorded three top-10 performances in her previous three races leading up to the NCAA Regionals. After setting a career-best 5K time at the Oswego State Invitational on Sept. 7 (20:17.8), Theriault partnered with Middlebrook to become only the first Wells cross country runners to finish within the top-10 in the same race on Oct. 19, 2013 at the Cross Country Only Championships.

With a fifth place overall finish at the NEAC Championships on Nov. 2, Theriault became only the second player in program history to earn First Team All-Conference honors (behind Middlebrook).  In her lone career 6K appearance, Theriault placed 40th overall as an individual at the Rochester (N.Y.) Yellow Jacket Invitational on Sept. 14, 2013 with a time of 24:41.8.

Junior Anastasia Benson (Rockford, Ill.) has seen action in 23 races for the Express across her three year career and will be making her first-ever apearance at the NCAA Regionals on Saturday. In 2013, Benson posted a season-best 5K time of 22.49.9 at the Cross Country Only Championship on Oct. 19.

Most recently, Benson placed 31st for the Express at the NEAC Championships on Nov. 2 with a 5K time of 24:09. Competing in only her fourth 6K this Saturday, Benson's best time on the extended course came on Sept. 15, 2012 at the Rochester (N.Y.) Yellow Jacket Invitational (24:13.5).

Rounding out the women's squad for Wells is Jenn VanWormer (Phoenix, N.Y.), a first year student. In 2013, VanWormer appeared in all seven meets for the Express and posted a season-best 5K time of 23:36 at the SUNYIT Wildcat Weekend Classic on Sept. 28. In only one career 6K race, VanWormer turned in a time of 29:09.4 at the Rochester (N.Y.) Yellow Jacket Invitational on Sept. 14.

At the NEAC Championships, VanWormer placed 37th amongst the field as an individual with a time of 24:44, her best individual finish of the season. VanWormer and the Express finished with a fourth place overall team finish out of 11 competing schools.

Hernon, a junior, joined the Express in 2012 and has steadily improved his times across his 15 career cross country meets. In 2013, Hernon placed first for the Express in each race that he competed in and set a personal-best time in an 8K race at the Oswego State Invitational on Sept. 7, completing the course with a time of 30:06.4. His best 5K time was set last season at the SUNYIT Wildcat Invitational on Sept. 1, 2012 (23:39.5).