BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Eight members of the Moravian University men's and women's cross country teams garnered 2024 NCAA Division III Metro All-Region from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for finishing in the Top 35 during the 2024 Metro Regional hosted by Stockton University on Saturday, November 16.
The Greyhound men won their first regional championship, placing first of 26 teams in the regional to earn an automatic berth to this week's NCAA Division III National Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, and Moravian had six runners earn All-Region accolades. Senior Owen Nahf garnered his third consecutive All-Region honor as he finished third of the 189 runners in a PR time of 24:52.0 on the 8,000- meter course. Senior Nathan Hajel earned All-Region honors for the fourth straight year as he placed fourth in a PR time of 24:52.4 while junior Bryan Kerchner received All-Region accolades for the second time as he placed sixth with a PR time of 24:56.3. Graduate student Cole Stanchina) garnered his first All-Region honor at Moravian with a seventh place PR time of 24:59.9 while sophomore Gavin Hefferan earned his first All-Region accolade with a PR time of 25:06.4 to finish ninth. Graduate student Josh Mangini made All-Region for the third straight fall with a 28th place finish in a time of 25:46.4.
"With the 30 mph winds, we stressed a more conservative approach through the first 3k of the race and letting other teams lead the early segments in addition to blocking some of the wind," stated Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Jesse Baumann. "That sort of approach is built into how we train, and the race wound up unfolding that way. Near the 5k mark, the race had mostly set up except for us needing Gavin and Josh to make some of their trademark late-race moves to help us secure the win. Gavin, in particular, made a huge surge and went from roughly 35th at the 2-mile mark to finishing in the top 10 at the end, and Josh moved up more than 20 places from early in the race and either one of their moves were enough for us to secure a team win.
"The team had a remarkable close and in fact negative split, which you don't see all too often in XC," Baumann continued. "The men putting five in the top nine and wrapping up the All-Region team with Josh at 27th was arguably the best run ever for our program, and a great way to secure a trip to NCAAs this week."
The women's squad finished fifth of 25 schools and had a pair of runners finish in the Top 35. Junior Tara Smurla placed first of 189 competitors with a PR time of 21:40.8 on the 6,000-meter course to garner All-Region honors for the third straight season. Smurla qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships for the second consecutive fall with her regional title. Senior Amber Poniktera earned All-Region accolades for the fourth straight year as she placed 27th in 23:25.7.
"We knew both Tara and Amber could place as well as they did and finish on the All-Region team, but there's always uncertainty with any race," commented Baumann. "Tara was patient and tucked in within the top five runners until roughly the 2.5-mile mark and then she started to separate herself. Despite feeling really strong, she waited a little longer in part because of some extremely windy conditions, but with how good she was feeling, she didn't want to leave anything to chance. Most of the 20 second margin she had was made in about a mile, which is remarkable when you can do that against All-Region caliber athletes. It was a well-earned victory after six months of incredible work. However, it also shows that her best running could still be in front of her this coming week!
"For Amber, we weren't sure what to expect as she came down with a really bad cold on Sunday that plagued her all week," noted Baumann. "She couldn't run our practice on Wednesday and was still blowing her nose minutes before the gun went off. However, what may be Amber's best strength is her mental toughness. She could have let this become an excuse, but that's not her. She put herself in the top 20 pack and fought the whole 6k to stay there. It was one of the best races she's had as a 'Hound not just because of the result, but because of what she fought through to make it happen."
View the full list of 2024 All-Region runners at https://www.ustfccca.org/2024/11/featured/2024-ncaa-division-iii-cross-country-all-region.
