NEWVILLE, Pa. – Junior Cat Dacey made Union College's first appearance at the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championships in over four decades on Saturday, placing 92nd out of 293 competitors at Big Spring High School.
 
Dacey finished the 6K course in a time of 22:26.3, earning a spot in the top-third of the season's most competitive Division III field with her fourth-best time of the year.
 
The junior came off the starting line strong with an opening 5:41 mile, putting her in 37th place overall and 27 seconds off the individual lead. Her pace lessened as the runners headed into the woods, dropping to 71st place after a 6:13 second mile and then to 94th at the 5000-meter mark. However, the junior managed to finish strong, moving two spots back up the leaderboard in the final 1000 meters.
 
Fiona Smith of St. Benedict earned the individual national championship with a time of 19:54.1, while Carleton took home the team national title with a team score of 151, three points clear of New York University.
 
The NCAA Championship caps a remarkable individual season for Dacey, who finished the year with ownership of the top-five 6K times in program history and earned six top-10 finishes in her eight races this year. She also picked up the first USTFCCCA All-Region and All-Liberty League first-team honors in program history as well.
 
"Cat has always been a competitor, but this year she attained a level that enabled her to be in front with the best runners in the region and experience a lot of success, which in turn gave her greater confidence in her abilities," said head coach Laura Nardelli. "She also worked diligently on her mental toughness, which was a key element in her ability to race strategically and remain in the moment and engaged throughout 6k races. She has definitely established herself as a next level athlete."