Nov. 21, 2011

Recap | Results | Photo Gallery

Villanova placed third as a team at the NCAA Championships on Monday afternoon, marking the program's third consecutive finish on the awards podium (top four in the team standings). Prior to this year's third place finish the team won national championships in both 2009 and 2010.

The three-year stretch of appearances on the podium is the first for the team since a stretch of eight consecutive years from 1989-96. The Wildcats won six straight national titles from 1989-94, placed third in 1995 and were the runners-up in 1996.

Senior Sheila Reid (Newmarket, Ont.) repeated as the individual national champion in a thrilling finish to today's race. Villanova has now had the individual national champion nine times and no other school has won more than three individual titles.

Sheila Reid is the sixth woman to win multiple individual championships in cross country and the third of the six to come from Villanova. The other women from the program to accomplish the feat are Sonia O'Sullivan (1990, 1991) and Carole Zajac (1992, 1993).

Today's first place finish gives Sheila Reid five national championships since last November. In addition to being the 2010 and 2011 cross country champion, she anchored Villanova to a national title in the distance medley relay during the 2011 indoor season and also was the individual champion in the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters at the 2011 outdoor championships. She is the only woman ever to win the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters outdoors in the same year.

ALL-TIME INDIVIDUAL WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS (BY SCHOOL)

Villanova                 9                  1989-94, 1997, 2010-11North Carolina State      3                  1981, 1983, 1985Texas Tech                3                  2006-08Wisconsin                 3                  1984, 1995, 1999Arizona                   2                  1996, 2001Indiana                   2                  1987-1988North Carolina            2                  2002-03Northern Arizona          2                  1986, 2005Colorado                  1                  2000Illinois                  1                  2009Michigan                  1                  1998Providence                1                  2004

ALL-TIME INDIVIDUAL TITLES (BY PERSON)

Sally Kipyego             3                  Texas TechSheila Reid               2                  VillanovaCarole Zajac              2                  VillanovaSonia O'Sullivan          2                  VillanovaShalane Flanagan          2                  North CarolinaBetty Jo Springs          2                  North Carolina State