VILLANOVA, Pa.—One of the staples on the early season schedule for the Villanova women's cross country team is the Main Line Invitational which takes place just a few miles down the road on the Haverford College campus. At this point of the season – this year's meet was the Wildcats season opener on September 20 – the 5K race is as much a training run as anything else as the team starts to build for the bulk of the season ahead.
 
There is still a lot to gain, however, from the opportunity to get the competitive juices flowing for the first time, especially in a race so close to campus and on a course that the team regularly trains on. Each year the Main Line Invitational on the Alumni Course at Haverford also serves as the debut for several newcomers to the Villanova roster. That was true for three runners in the Wildcats official lineup last week, as well as for three other athletes who competed as unattached entries in the meet.
 
Fifth year collegian Nikki Vanasse (Martinsville, N.J.) is a graduate transfer from Columbia and was one of the newcomers who debuted last week. She is instantly one of the impact performers on the Villanova roster after being an All-Northeast Region and All-Ivy League honoree in cross country during her undergraduate career. She showed just how big her impact can be as she cruised to a first place finish at Haverford, covering the 5K distance in 17:03.8 and winning by more than 35 seconds over four teammates who followed her and formed a 1-2-3-4-5 Wildcats sweep.
 
"It was really fun to put on the Villanova uniform for the first time," Vanasse said of running her first race for the Wildcats. "Today was great. We have a lot of history, and [a lot of] strength this year with the team so I was just excited to come out and I was happy to get a good race in. The team looked really strong today and we are putting all the pieces together to be competitive."
 
Cross country season tends to move quickly. Most teams will have one big race in September and another in October before turning their attention to the postseason which includes conference championships, regionals and NCAAs in a span of four weeks. There is a lot more season than just a few meets in the Fall to train for however, with the distance athletes gearing up for their indoor and outdoor campaigns as well. As a veteran who is used to the cycle of the collegiate calendar, Vanasse knows what to expect of herself early in the year.
 
"For myself [the first race] is just wanting to feel smooth and confident," Vanasse said. "That's a good indicator of fitness and I definitely felt both of those today, so I was happy. I built a lot of confidence last outdoor season so I was really looking to build on that fitness, carry that through cross country and turn some heads this season."
 
Vanasse had a strong senior campaign at Columbia which included all-region honors in cross country in the Fall, indoor titles at the Ivy League Championships (mile) and the ECAC Championship (1000 meters), followed by anchoring the Lions to a conference championship in the 4x800 meter relay outdoors. She qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary in the 1500 meters to close her outdoor collegiate season, then ran a lifetime PR of 4:10.24 in the 1500 meters at the Portland Track Festival in June.
 
When it came time to decide on where to continue both her education and her running career, Vanasse felt drawn to the tradition of excellence in the Wildcats track & field program. She is pursuing her MBA from the Villanova School of Business and meanwhile, the cross country team's preparations for the Fall season have reinforced in her mind that Vanasse is in the right place.
 
"I really wanted to be part of the Villanova history," Vanasse said. "It means so much to wear the 'V'. The girls [on the team] are great and we're going to have a great season this year. Coach Gina does a really good job preparing us [for races] and we have a lot of faith in what we're doing and in our build. Our fitness is going to be there for the big races."
 
Vanasse comes from an athletic family and both of her parents were highly successful track & field athletes during their own careers. Her mother preceded Vanasse as an Ivy League collegian and was a two-time All-American to go along with winning five Heps titles in cross country and track & field at Yale. Her father competed collegiately at Connecticut before going on to run for Team adidas USA from 1983-87, during which time he was the runner-up in the 1984 Boston Marathon.
 
"They have a very positive influence on my running," Vanasse said of her parents' background in the sport. They do a good job of motivating me and helping me get to where I want to be, helping me chase my goals. My mom was out here [at the Main Line meet] and I could hear her cheering, so it's good to be here with them and carry on that part of my family history."
 
With the first meet of the season now in the books, the Wildcats have a quick turnaround before racing again at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on September 27. The meet, which is on this year's NCAA championship course at the University of Wisconsin, annually draws some of the top teams in the country.
 
Villanova last competed at Nuttycombe in 2021 when then-freshman Sadie Sigfstead (Edmonton, Alta.) led the team with a strong 36^th place finish out of more than 260 runners. Sigfstead is still at the top of the Wildcats lineup three years later. Vanasse has run at Nuttycombe twice before and was the third finisher for Columbia at last year's meet.
 
"Nuttycombe is a competitive race so it will definitely show where we are," Vanasse said. "I think now we know a little more what our fitness is and can build off [the race at Haverford]. We'll get on that line and show them what we've got."