2018 Women's Cross Country Recap

The 2018 season saw the Emory women's cross country team maintain its reputation as one of the premier programs in Division III. 

The Eagles qualified for the NCAA D-III Championships for the 14^th straight season and the 27^th time over the past 28 campaigns.  Emory posted a 20th -place finish at nationals.  The Eagles earned the right to compete at the Championships after registering a first-place finish at the NCAA South/Southeast Region Championships, the 28th consecutive year that they finished among the top two finishers at that event.  All of Emory's five scorers garnered all-region accolades after placing among the top 25 overall finishers, highlighted by senior Kaylee Slade who placed seventh overall out of 237 runners.  Slade came through with a strong final campaign, ranking as Emory's No. 1 runner in all seven of the races she competed in.

Other Emory athletes who brought home all-region kudos included senior Kayla O'Shea (13^th place), sophomore Carrie McIntyre (17th place), sophomore Susie Martin (20th place) and freshman Zoe Friedman (26th place).  In addition, sophomore Abby Durfee (31st place) also brought home an all-region award.

Emory finished fifth or better in six of its nine meets including the No. 2 position at the JSU Foothills Invitational and third place at the Montevallo Falcon Classic.  The Eagles recorded a fifth-place performance at the University Athletic Association Championships, and were led by Slade, whose eighth-place finish allowed her to land Second Team All-UAA honors.  Emory was ranked 20th nationally in D-III in the final USTFCCCA Poll of the season.

Slade's consistency and ability to perform in the big meets was a driving force in her being named the team's Most Outstanding Performer. In addition to her outing at NCAA Regionals, she crossed the finish line in 27th place out of 353 runners at Pre-Nationals and was fourth in a 163-runner field at the JSU Foothills Invitational. 

Kayla O'Shea was selected as the Most Improved Runner following a season that saw her score in six of seven competitions. O'Shea was the team's No. 2 finisher in the last three meets including the NCAA D-III Championships where she tied her personal-best 6K time of 22:33.  

Zoe Friedman was chosen as the Most Outstanding Newcomer after bolstering the lineup midway through the season.  Friedman was an Emory scorer in three of her five meets and was the No. 1 Eagle to finish in the 6K Berry Invitational, clocking a 23:58 that ranked 25^thoverall out of 217 entries, and the 6K Bobcat Invitational with a time of season-best time of 23:21. 

Carrie McIntyre was tabbed for the Coaches' Award, symbolic of dedication, leadership and inspiration, after scoring for Emory in six of her seven competitions. McIntrye finished third or higher among the Eagle finishers on six occasions including a No. 2 effort at the NCAA Pre-Nationals.


Honors and Awards