It was a special season for New York University women's cross country team in 2009, as the Violet harriers qualified for the NCAA Championship as a team for the first time in program history.
The Violets finished 24th in the nation, as sophomore Joan Kanarkiewicz led the team with a time of 23:45.4 to capture 117th place.
Since taking the reins in 2008, head coach Nick McDonough has overseen a dramatic transition, guiding the program from average to national prominence.
“It is a tremendous accomplishment for these young ladies,” said McDonough after his team qualified for the national championship meet. “In building our program, we've come a long way these last two years.”
Also scoring for NYU at the national meet were sophomore Maeve Evans (127th place), freshman Kirsten Keller (141st place), freshman Kerra Vick (160th place), and sophomore Paige Zelinsky (184th place).
Kanarkiewicz, who qualified for the NCAA Championship as an individual during her freshman season, was the Violets' top runner throughout the 2009 season. Her 10th-place finish at the NCAA Atlantic Regional helped lead NYU to a best-ever third-place finish. For her performance, Kanarkiewicz earned All-Atlantic Region honors, as did Keller (19th place), Evans (27th place), and Vick (35th place).
NYU also reached unprecedented heights at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship, finishing a best-ever third at that event, as well. Kanarkiewicz again led the way with a fourth-place finish. She was followed closely by Keller (ninth place), who earned UAA Rookie of the Year honors.
Evans (12th) and Vick (18th) also finished among the top 20. For their efforts, McDonough and his assistants James McCarthy and Jon Phillips were selected UAA Co-Coaching Staff of the Year.
There were other highlights to the season, as well, with the Violets taking third place at the season-opening Monmouth Kickoff and at the New York Metropolitan Championship, races that featured mainly NCAA Division I squads.
The Violets excelled on the course and in their courses in 2009. Kanarkiewicz, Keller and Vick each earned Division III All-Academic honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, while seven team members earned UAA Fall Sport All-Academic honors.
