NORFOLK, V.A. (November 12, 2018) – Along with capturing a program-best third-place finish at Friday's USCAA National Championships, head coach Robb Munro and four of his women's cross country runners received additional national praise. Munro was named the USCAA Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year. Seniors Tristen Bowker (Walton, NY / Delaware Academy) and Elise McIntyre (Red Creek, NY / Red Creek), along with sophomores Arielle Moheimani (Homer, NY / Homer) and Jewel Pignetti (New Windsor, NY / Cornwall Central), were recognized as USCAA National All-Academics.
After back-to-back sixth-place finishes in 2016 and 2017, Munro continued to develop his solid group of runners, while adding more depth via his recruiting class. Freshmen Kali Kayes and Katerina Salcedo quickly emerged as two of his top runners, with Keyes earning USCAA and ACAA Athlete of the Week honors and Salcedo being the team's first finisher at the national championships to earn Second Team All-American. The further improvement of his returners also paid great dividends, with Bowker earning USCAA weekly accolades and Moheimani receiving Second Team All-American. This marks Munro's second overall USCAA Coach of the Year award and first on the women's side after being named the association's 2016 Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
Some of the Broncos regular-season highlights included defeating Hartwick in their season opener, then a third-place finish in a competitive field at Bard's Fred Pavlich Invitational. This translated to a successful postseason, where Delhi went on to win the ACAA Championship on Oct. 27, prevailing by just one point for the team crown with 42 points, and featured seven Broncos in the top 20. This was followed by their podium finish at USCAA's with a 75 score, that displayed five runners in the top 20.
This marks McIntyre's third USCAA All-Academic honor. An Architecture major with a 3.87 GPA, McIntyre's was recognized as the 2017 USCAA Women's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Year her junior season. The senior was Delhi's fourth finisher at the ACAA Championships, placing 11th to give the Broncos the clutch points down the stretch for the one-point win over Alfred State to take the team title. The Red Creek, NY native, not only excels in the classroom, but can also be seen giving back to the community through volunteering at the local elementary school, as well as teaching dance lessons.
Bowker, a graduating senior, received her second USCAA National All-Academic recognition. The Walton, NY native improved on her 56th place finish from last year's national championship, crossing the line in 26:21.59 to take 19th overall, shaving over two minutes off her her previous year's time. A Restaurant and Food Service major with a 3.91 GPA, Bowker ran her personal best this season at the Green Mountain College Invitational, dropping nearly two minutes off her time from the previous year's 5K race with a time of 21:02.
Moheimani, a Mechatronics major with a 3.81 GPA, received her first USCAA All-Academic honor. The sophomore has been Delhi's top three-finisher throughout the season. She took fifth at the ACAA Championships for her second straight All-ACAA First Team finish, while placing 12th at the USCAA Championships to be the team's second finisher, while earning her first career All-American placement on the second team.
Pignetti, a Mechatronics major with a 3.64 GPA, earns her first USCAA All-Academic recognition. The sophomore competed in five races throughout the season, marking her best at the Green Mountain College Invitational with a mark of 24:35.
