Villanova Univeristy Athletics

November 23, 1998
Villanova Media Relations

LAWRENCE, Kan. - On Monday, Nov. 23, at the Rim Rock Farm Course in Lawrence, Kan., the Villanova women’s cross country team won its seventh NCAA Cross Country Championship in the last 10 years. The title was the 16th NCAA Championship for Villanova University and the seventh for the Villanova women’s cross country program which won six consecutive titles from 1989-94.
 
The Wildcats were led by Carrie Tollefson (Sr., Dawson, Minn.), the defending NCAA Cross Country Champion, who placed 11th with a time of 17:16.87, Sarah Vance Goodman (Fr., Asheville, N.C.) who finished 12th (17:18.35), Kristen Nicolini (Sr., Annapolis, Md.) who registered a 17th place finish (17:21.39), and Carmen Douma (Jr., Cambridge, Ontario) who crossed the finish line in 21st place (17:26.66). Kristine Jost (Sr., Baltimore, Md.) also scored for Villanova finishing 69th in a time of 18:00.17.
 
The Wildcats placed first finishing the afternoon with 106 points. Following Villanova was Brigham Young who placed second with 110 points and Stanford which finished one point behind in third place with 111 points. Winning the NCAA individual title was Michigan’s Katie McGregor, who posted a time of 16:40.21.
 
Head Coach Marcus O’Sullivan who just completed his first season at the helm of the Villanova cross country program, was named the United States Track Coaches Associations National Coach of the Year. Receiving All-America honors for the Wildcats were Tollefson, Vance-Goodman, Nicolini and Douma, who each placed in the top 25 to earn the distinction.
 
Also running for Villanova was Ann McGranahan (So., Pensacola, Fla.) who posted a time of 18:05.61 to place her 81st, and Lonyé Johnson (Jr., Wilmington, Del.) who crossed the finish line in 245th position.
 

VILLANOVA ROSTER
Name	Class	Hometown	High School
Susan Billings	Sophomore	Berlin, N.J.	Eastern Regional
Meghan Courtney	Sophomore	Waterloo, N.Y.	Waterloo
Carmen Douma	Junior	Cambridge, Ont.	Centre Wellington
Jackie Gruters	Senior	Sarasota, Fla.	Cardinal Mooney
Sarah Vance Goodman	Freshman	Asheville, N.C.	T.C. Roberson
Lonyé Johnson	Junior	Wilmington, Del.	Ursuline Academy
Kristine Jost	Sophomore	Baltimore, Md.	Perry Hall
Geraldine McCarthy	Sophomore	Listowel, Ireland	Presenation Secondary
Ann McGranahan	Sophomore	Pensacola, Fla.	Pensacola
Jessica Morris	Freshman	Summit, N.J.	Summit
Kristen Nicolini	Senior	Annapolis, Md.	Annapolis
Leashia Rahr	Junior	Syracuse, N.Y.	Henninger
Carrie Tollefson	Senior	Dawson, Minn.	Dawson-Boyd
Head Coach: Marcus O'Sullivan (Villanova '84), First Season
Assistant Coach: Gina Procaccio (Villanova '87)

 

1998 HONORS AND AWARDS