LEWISBURG, Pa. – Navy women's cross country placed nine runners in the top 20, including individual medalist Emily Boutin (Chicopee, Mass.), to post a team score of 38 to win to its second consecutive Patriot League Championship title. The Midshipmen's top five all finished in the top 11.
 
"The women have been committed all season and it showed today," head coach Kim Lewnes said after the meet. "I've said it before and I'll say it again… it was a real team effort. Everyone gave it their all. I love this team. These women are so fun to coach!
 
"I am so proud of my firsties," Lewnes continued. "They have led this team in so many ways – at practice, on the course, in the Hall, and personally. They have developed an incredible team culture."
 
Navy claimed the team title, finishing with 38 total points. Army was second with 57 total points, while Boston University took third with 70 points. Lehigh came in fourth (101 points) with meet host Bucknell (110) rounding out the top five.
 
The win marked Navy's sixth Patriot League Championship title and second consecutive championship for the Midshipmen.
 
Individually, Boutin led the way, finishing first in the 6K race with a time of 20:36.8, while Ellie Abraham (Brookings, S.D.) finished seventh overall with a time of 21:20.1. Sophie Compton (San Diego, Calif.), Elizabeth Sullivan (Portsmouth, R.I.), and Mia-Claire Kezal (Saco, Maine) rounded out Navy's top five, coming in ninth, 10th, and 11th, respectively. Compton clocked a time of 21:29.5 to finish just ahead of Sullivan (21:30.6) and Kezal (21:30.9).
 
Carolyn Thurlby (Overland Park, Kan.) took 16th ahead of Alanna Julius (Minnetonka, Minn.) who finished 17th. Senior team captain Winter Boese (Clark, Colo.) crossed the finish line in 18th with fellow senior Emily Ettrich (Whispering Pines, N.C.) taking 20th. Thurlby clocked a time of 21:38.6, while Julius was three tenths of a second back with 21:38.9. Boese concluded her final Patriot League Championship with a time of 21:43.4 with Ettrich clocking a time of 21:51.3.
 
Lauren Moore (Danbury, Conn.), McKenna Brophy (New Hope, Pa.), and Katherine Leddy (Crofton, Md.) also competed for the Midshipmen, posting times of 22:09.4, 22:37.0, and 23:06.5, individually.
 
Navy was in second place through the first checkpoint with Boutin pacing the team in fourth place. The Mids remained in fourth through the second marker. At the midway point, the Midshipmen remained in second place, but Boutin had overtaken the individual lead with Sullivan rising into the fifth spot.
 
Through 3.9K, Navy took the lead with its top seven moving into the top 20 overall. The Mids remained in the lead at the final checkpoint before the finish line. Boutin, who had slipped to second, overtook Boston's Daisy Liljegren for the individual title.
 
For her efforts, Boutin was named the Patriot League Runner of the Year, while Lewnes was tabbed the Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
 
Abraham joined Boutin with first-team all-conference distinction, while Compton, Sullivan, Kezal each earned second-team honors.
 
Both Navy teams will have two weeks to prepare for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, hosted at Penn State on Friday, Nov. 11.
 
Team Results
1. Navy – 38
2. Army – 57
3. Boston – 70
4. Lehigh – 101
5. Bucknell – 110
6. American – 206
7. Holy Cross – 209
8. Lafayette – 212
9. Colgate – 266
10. Loyola – 279
 
Navy Top 7
1. Emily Boutin – 20:36.8
7. Ellie Abraham – 21:20.1
9. Sophie Compton – 21:29.5
10. Elizabeth Sullivan – 21:30.6
11. Mia-Claire Kezal – 21:30.9
16. Carolyn Thurlby – 21:38.6
17. Alanna Julius – 21:38.9
18. Winter Boese – 21:43.4