Dooley, Varsell Lead Bentley to 2nd in NCAA Regional & Trip to NCAA Championships
BOSTON, Mass. – With freshman Tara Dooley (Lee/Lee HS) and junior Amy Varsell (Burlington, Conn./Burlington HS) leading the way, the Bentley University women's cross country team earned a first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Championships by virtue of finishing second among 27 teams at the NCAA Division II East Regional Sunday afternoon at Franklin Park.
Bentley, ranked 25th in Division II, trailed only Stonehill College in the team standings. The Skyhawks captured the regional title with a score of 57 points, and Bentley followed with 99, besting Philadelphia University by 13 points for the second qualifying position for the nationals. UMass-Lowell (207) and Saint Anselm (212) rounded out the top five.
"Our one goal for the year for the women has been to qualify for NCAAs for the 1st time, said first-year head coach Kevin Curtin. "We had some injuries early in the season with Tara and Amy but we knew the potential was there. We've been getting healthier all season and we were able to put it all together at NE-10s. Seniors Evey Marrero and Brittany Roderman did a nice job of keeping people relaxed in their pre-race talks. We got out well and pretty much stayed there throughout."
Dooley, who never ran in a cross country race before a month ago, continued her outstanding first season by finishing second overall. The Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year, who had been 28th in the New Englands and the runner-up in the conference championships, ran the 6,000 meters in 21:58.7, trailing repeat regional champion Jeptui Cherutich of American International by only 4.3 seconds.
Varsell, an All-America in both indoor and outdoor track, placed fourth overall, completing the course in 22:39.9.
Also earning All-Region recognition for the Falcons were sophomore Ashley Nichols (Kenmore, Wash./Inglemoor HS) and junior Caitlin Fahey (Bridgewater/Coyle-Cassidy HS), who were 18th and 20th, respectively. Nichols, who'll be returning to her home state for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 21, finished in 23:27.7 and Fahey was exactly two seconds behind her.
Rounding out Bentley's top five was senior captain Evelyn Marrero (Amsterdam, N.Y./ Amsterdam HS), who was 57th in 24:38.5.
"Tara was in second the whole way," said Curtin. "Amy separated from the chase pack halfway through and was in a comfortable fourth. Ashley & Caitlin ended up where they always end up which is in the middle of the Stonehill pack. We're all looking forward to NCAAs and I'm sure Ashley is compiling her guide to Washington State even as we speak."
The NCAA Championships will be held in Spokane, Wash. Nov. 19.
NCAA DIVISION II EAST REGIONAL
At Franklin Park, Boston
Team Standings: 1. Stonehill 57, 2. Bentley 99, 3. Philadelphia 112, 4. UMass-Lowell 207, 5. Saint Anselm 212, 6. Adelphi 213, 7. Le Moyne 222, 8. Merrimack 249, 9. American International 250, 10. Southern Connecticut 265, 11. Wilmington (Del.) 302, 12. St. Michael's 307, 13. Saint Rose 319, 14. St. Thomas Aquinas 336, 15. New Haven 372, 16. Southern New Hampshire 411, 17. C.W. Post 458, 18. Georgian Court 519, 19. Molloy 542, 20. Queens (N.Y.) 596, 21. Nyack 622, 22. Pace 643, 23. Assumption 662, 24. Post 700, 25. Sciences 709, 26. Holy Family 738, 27. Felician 798
Top Individuals: 1. Jeptui Cherutich, AIC, 21:54.4; 2. Tara Dooley, Bentley, 21:58.7; 3. Sarah Simonetti, Philadelphia, 22:03.8; 4. Amy Varsell, Bentley, 22:39.9; 5. Indira Avila, Queens, 22:57.3.
Other Bentley Runners: 18. Ashley Nichols, 23:27.7; 20. Caitlin Fahey, 23:29.7; 57. Evelyn Marrero, 24:38.5; 83. Brittany Roderman, 25:20.6; 84. Leah Schiller, 25:21.1.