PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Sophomore Rachel McArthur (Bristow, Va.) was named the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women's Cross Country Performer of the Year on Tuesday afternoon after a vote by the sports information offices of 30 area institutions.  She and senior Nicole Hutchinson (West Vancouver, B.C.) were each among the seven student-athletes named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women's Cross Country Team, which recognizes both academic achievement and athletic accomplishments. 
 
McArthur and Hutchinson were each among the top performers for a Villanova team which won BIG EAST and Mid-Atlantic Region titles in addition to earning a team berth to the NCAA Championships for the fourth straight season and the 10^th time in the last 11 years.  Along the way, the Wildcats were consistently ranked in the nation's top 10 during the season. 
 
This is the second straight year and the fourth time in the 14-year history of the Academic All-Area Program that a Villanova student-athlete has been voted the Women's Cross Country Performer of the Year.  In order to be eligible for Academic All-Area recognition, a student-athlete must be in at least their second year at their school and have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher in addition to being a significant team contributor. 
 
McArthur was selected as this season's Mid-Atlantic Region Women's Athlete of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).  She won the individual title at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional and was a Mid-Atlantic All-Region performer for the second straight year.  McArthur was also the individual runner-up at the BIG EAST Championships and garnered first team All-BIG EAST accolades.  Her successful sophomore campaign built on the success she had as a freshman in 2017-18 and during a strong summer season in which she competed at the IAAF World U20 Championships. 
 
In addition to her athletic success, McArthur is quickly building an impressive resume of academic honors.  She was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team in both cross country and track & field last year, and was also a BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection.  McArthur was also on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for both the fall and spring semesters in 2017-18 as a result of having a GPA above a 3.2 in each semester.  
 
Hutchinson had the best cross country season of her career for the Wildcats and capped off her senior campaign by earning All-America honors at the NCAA Championships last month.  She led Villanova with a 40^th place finish at the national meet after coming in fifth at both the BIG EAST Championships and the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.  Hutchinson was a first team All-BIG EAST honoree and a Mid-Atlantic All-Region selection for the second straight year. 
 
The senior Villanova School of Business student-athlete is majoring in Accounting with minors in both Business Law and International Business.  This is the second time in her career that Hutchinson has been recognized on a Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team, as she also earned the honor for track & field last year.  Hutchinson has been a four-time selection to USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams, including three times in track & field and once in cross country.  She is also a three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team member and has appeared on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll in all four semesters since the honor debuted two years ago.