ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Roberts Wesleyan University women's cross country team entered Saturday morning's East Coast Conference Championship with a plan.

"The goal was to get as many people on our team as we could stuck in a pack,: sophomore Michaela Goettel said. "We ran together and then with about 1,200 meters left we started kicking."

Did they ever.

Goettel, who was fourth with 480 meters to go, led a strong finishing charge as the host Redhawks placed six runners in the top nine and 11 in the top 20 to win their 12^th straight ECC Championship. The Redhawks finished with 22 points, D'Youville was second with 76 and Daemen was third with 90.

"They executed the plan extremely well," Roberts Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Andrew Dorr said. "I am really proud of the women's team across the board. We had a really nice gap between our one through seven runners which was nice."

"It was exciting," Goettel, who is from nearby North Chili, N.Y., said. "We take a lot of pride in (the championship streak) and it's definitely important. It is a reflection of all of the work that we have put in and all of the work that our coaches have put in and a real testament to God and glorifying him."

Goettel leaned on her experience as second-team All-ECC 800-meter runner to complete the 5K race on the Matt St. James Cross Country Trails in a personal record of 18:43 to earn Most Outstanding Runner honors.  

"Once I see the finish, it's fine time for me to use the rest of my energy," said Goettel, who bested a field of 67 to earn her first college cross country win.

Roberts freshman Giuliana Fodor crossed the line one second later in 18:43 to earn ECC Rookie of the Year.

"She has been surprising us all year," Dorr said.

Juniors Paige Moore (18:50.7), Evelyn Schmit (18:52.1) and Amelia Mickelson (19:02.4) finished fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively, to complete the scoring for Roberts.

Junor Trista Webster placed ninth (19:03.8) and sophomore Veronica Brewer was 12^th (19:07.3) for the Redhawks.

Goettel, Fodor, Moore and Schmit earned first-team All-ECC honors while Mickelson, Webster and Brewer were second-team.

Sophomores Emma Lipa (15^th in 19:24) and Lydia Demarest (16^th in 19:29.3), junior Kennedy Mitchell (17^th in 19:31.2) and senior Mia Lucyshyn (20^th in 19:38.5) rounded out the Roberts runners in the top 20.

The Redhawks move on to compete in the NCAA Division II East Regional on Nov. 21 at Bethpage State Park.