McNamara takes NESCAC Performer of the Week Award

    Sophomore runner Stephanie McNamara is proving to be a cross-country star, opening the season on a high note by winning the Trinity College Invitational on Saturday and pacing the Jumbos to a first-place finish.
    In November, McNamara finished 30th at the NCAA Div. III Championships and was one of three Jumbos to earn All-American honors. After two of those All-Americans, Cat Beck (LA ‘08) and Katy O'Brien (E ‘08), graduated last year, McNamara was expected to pick up the slack.
    She's certainly doing her part.
    Running the 4k Wickham Park course in Manchester, Conn., McNamara dominated the 175-runner field with a time of 16:31; over 20 seconds faster than the second-place Lyra Clark of UMass Lowell. The race marked the first time in her budding collegiate career that McNamara finished first.
    Her exceptional performance helped Tufts secure a comfortable victory over the other 13 teams competing Saturday. Five Jumbos finished in the top 16, giving Tufts a final score of 48 and a victory in their first meet of the year for the third consecutive season. Stonehill College came in second with 95 points.
    The Jumbos now look to their only home meet of the year, the Tufts Invitational, this weekend. The team finished third at their home course in Grafton, Mass. last year.