FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The Roberts Wesleyan University women's cross country team is returning to the NCAA Division II National Championships for the eighth consecutive season.
The Redhawks ran to a second-place finish Saturday at the NCAA East at Bethpage State Park to earn a trip to the National Championships on Dec. 3 in Seattle. Roberts finished with 52 points, 17 behind first-place Southern New Hampshire University.
Roberts began the race in eighth place with 227 points at an early check point but continued to move up throughout the race.
"They got off slow, but they didn't panic," said Andrew Dorr, Roberts' Director of Cross Country and Track & Field. "They worked their way through the field and they kept passing people right to the end.
Sophomore Acacia Barber led Roberts, covering the 6K course in 22:31.1 to finish fifth. Freshman Rachel Horner-Richardson placed 11^th in 22:48.2, junior Kylee Odell finished 13^th in 22:50. 5 and senior Jennifer Zambuto crossed the line 15^th in 22:56.8. Sophomore Maya Krishnan rounded out the top five, placing 36th in 23:44.
Barber, Horner-Richardson, Odell and Zambuto all earned first-team All-Region.
"To have four in the top 15 is very, very solid," Dorr said. "They have really rounded into shape."
Junior Zoe Perkins placed 46^th in 24:00.9 and freshman Lydia Roselund finished 55^th in 24:11.6.
Roberts, which has won eight straight East Coast Conference championships and qualified for nationals each year since 2014 (the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), continues to chart different courses to success.
"It's about finding a way to make it happen," Dorr said. "Each year you find a way to accomplish your goals. It's not going to be the same way or with the same flair every year. Some years you may get in by the skin of your teeth and other years you may have an impressive victory."
The Roberts men also qualified for nationals, marking the third time in history (2014, 2019 and 2022) that both teams have reached that milestone.