Season Highlights: With a couple of seasoned veterans and numerous sophomores looking to climb into the team's top five, the Haverford College women's cross country team made it back to the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship in 2015. The Fords seemingly ran their best to get to the national meet with a runner-up finisher in the Centennial Conference Championship and third place finish at the Mideast Regional. Haverford competed in the national championship for the sixth time in the past seven seasons. The program has made it to the NCAA Cross Country Championship as a team 15 times in program history.
The Fords were ranked as high as No. 20 in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Poll during the 2015 season. The year ended with a 24th place finish at the national meet, highlighted by a 46th place finish from Amelia Keyser-Gibson. The Fords also placed second at the Centennial Conference Championship for the fourth time in the past five seasons behind a pair of All-Centennial Conference runners in Katie Sullivan (first team) and Nora Weathers (second team). At the Mideast Regional meet, Haverford had four all-regional honorees with Maggie Heffernan joining Sullivan, Weathers, and Keyser-Gibson among the top 35 finishers in the race. Although edged out by Dickinson, the Fords still recorded their highest team finish at the regional since the 2012 season and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship.
Awards
- NCAA Division III National Championship: 24th place
- NCAA Division III Mideast Regional: 3rd place
- Centennial Conference Championship: 2nd place
- All-Mideast Region: Katie Sullivan (ninth place), Amelia Keyser-Gibson (12th place), Nora Weathers (14th place), Maggie Heffernan (34th place)
- All-Centennial Conference: Katie Sullivan (first team, sixth place), Nora Weathers (second team, eighth place)
- Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team: Molly Allen
- Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll: Molly Allen, Liana Alves, MaryKate Cavanaugh, Nicole Giannetti, Allison Hacker, Maggie Heffernan, Amelia Keyser-Gibson, Alison Love, Michaela Novakovic, Sarah Wade
Season Notes: Nora Weathers won the individual title at the Haverford Alumni Open … As a team, Haverford won three races during the 2015 season … The Fords won the long race at the Dickinson Long/Short Invitational by placing each of their top five runners among the first 14 finishers … The season's second victory came in a 43 team field in the white race at the Paul Short Invitational where Haverford had three of the top seven finishers … The Fords also won the Haverford Invitational in their final home race of the season with five runners among the top eight placers … Haverford has placed first or second at the Centennial Conference Championship in 17 of the conference's 23 seasons … The team climbed to its highest ranking of the season with the 20th position in the national polls after the conference meet … The Fords have placed among the top three teams in the Mideast Regional during 13 of the past 23 seasons … Haverford finished with the 22nd fastest combined time as a team in the NCAA Championship.
Looking ahead: Seniors Nora Weathers and Maggie Heffernan joined five sophomores in the team's top seven during the postseason. That returning sophomore class featured the team's top finisher in each of the three postseason races as Katie Sullivan was the first runner across the line at the conference and regional championships. Amelia Keyser-Gibson led the team to the finish line on the national stage. Nicole Giannetti, MaryKate Cavanaugh and Sarah Wade also debuted at the NCAA Championship during their sophomore seasons. Up first however, the cross country Fords will join the rest of their teammates for the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons.