NEW CASTLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - Behind six all-conference runners, including three who earned First Team, the Allegheny College women's cross country team won the 2024 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship, the second title in three years for the Gators. The championships were held at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds in New Castle, Pa.

Led by their bevy of all-conference runners, Allegheny scored 45 points to easily outdistance the field, including runner-up and defending champion Grove City College, who scored 64, and third place Saint Vincent College, who totaled 75.

Fourth place went to Franciscan University with 84 points, while Washington & Jefferson College was in fifth place with 124. Rounding out the rest of the competing teams was Geneva College in sixth place (129), Waynesburg University in seventh (210), Chatham University in eighth (249), Thiel College in ninth (274), Westminster College in 10th (283) and Bethany College (325).

While Allegheny won the team title, the PAC Runner of the Year award was earned by Grove City senior Lydia Bennett. She broke the tape in a time of 21:54.30 to place first overall, which also earned her First Team All-PAC. This marks the 23rd time in the 41-year history of PAC women's cross country that a Grove City female has won Runner of the Year and the first time since Emily Rabenold won her third consecutive title in 2015.

Bennett had to beat out last year's PAC Runner of the Year for this year's crown. W&J junior Claire Anderson, the top runner at the 2023 Championships, completed this year's race in a time of 21:28.70, four seconds off the top time. Anderson collected her third All-PAC award with her performance and second straight First Team recognition.

Coming in third was the PAC Newcomer of the Year in Saint Vincent freshman Grace Neubert. She earned the conference recognition after being the initial first-year runner to come across the finish line, posting a time of 22:32.60. In addition to being a First Team All-PAC honoree with the time, Neubert also became the second Saint Vincent runner to earn the newcomer award, joining current Bearcat junior Kristen Prince, who won the honor in 2022.

Allegheny's string of top finishers that led to their championship began with fourth place, where Gator junior Chloe Bonson placed. She was followed by Allegheny seniors Marrin Crist and Nelly Stafford in fifth and seventh, respectively. For Stafford, it was her second consecutive seventh place showing and her second straight First Team All-PAC accolade. 

Taking sixth place was Franciscan senior Claire Walters, her second straight First Team All-PAC effort, as she was the conference champion in 2022 before not competing last season.

After his team captured the PAC title, Allegheny head coach Ben Mourer was voted as the PAC Coach of the year for the second time in the last three years.

The top seven finishers in both the men's and women's races received All-PAC First Team recognition, while runners finishing eighth through 14th earned All-PAC Second Team honors. Runners finishing 15th through 21st received All-PAC Honorable Mention recognition. 

The PAC also released its 2024 PAC Sportsmanship Team Saturday. The PAC Sportsmanship Teams were established to recognize student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior and are an ongoing effort to recognize and encourage positive sportsmanship among all PAC teams.

The 10 Division III regional championships are scheduled for Saturday, November 16. Bethany, Chatham, Geneva, Grove City, Saint Vincent, Thiel, W&J, Waynesburg and Westminster will compete in the Mid-Atlantic region, while Allegheny and Franciscan will compete in the Great Lakes region. The Division III Mid-Atlantic Championships will be held at Lock Haven University's West Branch Cross Country Course, while the Division III Great Lakes Championships will be held in Shelbyville, Indiana at Blue River Park. 

The 2025 Division III Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 23 at Lavern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. 
 

First Team All-PAC
Name	School	Place	Year	Hometown/High School
Lydia Bennett	Grove City	1st	Sr.	Bethel, Maine/Gould Academy
Claire Anderson	W&J	2nd	Jr.	Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown
Grace Neubert	Saint Vincent	3rd	Fr.	Saint Marys, Pa./Elk County Catholic
Chloe Bonson	Allegheny	4th	Jr.	Penn Township, Pa./Penn-Trafford
Marrin Crist	Allegheny	5th	Sr.	Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg Area
Claire Walters	Franciscan	6th	Sr.	Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius
Nelly Stafford	Allegheny	7th	Sr.	Middletown, Md./Middletown