The No. 19-ranked William and Mary women's cross country team is returning to the NCAA Championships this year, after posting a program-record second-place finish at the Southeast Region Championships on Friday.  The Tribe scored 69 points, best-ever for W&M, and finished just 12 points behind No. 11 Virginia.  With the bid to the national meet secure, the Tribe will race at the NCAA Championships in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.

Complete Results

Leading the way for W&M, and for the entire region, was sophomore Emily Stites (Wyoming, Ohio) who won the 6K race by more than 10 seconds, in 19:57.5.  It was the first-ever regional win for a Tribe women's runner, and the first win of the season for Stites.  She also finished well under the previous course record of 20:13.43, set by NCAA champion and Olympian Sheila Reid of Villanova back in 2009.  Finishing second for the Tribe was fellow All-American, senior Elaina Balouris (Allison Park, Pa.), who finished sixth overall in 20:12.5, also under the previous record.  With her all-region honor (given to the top-25 finishers), Balouris ties former great and coach Kathy Newberry '00 for the most in school history with four, and alongside Stites becomes just the second pair of teammates to earn all-region accolades two years in a row (Newberry and Hall of Famer Emily Furia '01).  Interestingly, Balouris won the Panorama Farms 5K early this fall, setting the 5K course record at this facility, giving W&M both women's course records.

Also earning all-region honors was sophomore Meghan McGovern (North Wales, Pa.), who finished 12th overall in 20:47.2, and senior Michelle Britto (Woodbridge, Va.), taking 17th in 21:02.4.  For both women, it was their first all-region honor, and they gave W&M four all-region athletes for the first time ever.  Junior Dylan Hassett (Alpharetta, Ga.) finished the scoring for W&M in 33rd place at 21:24.1, and the varsity seven also included Carolyn Hennessey (Herndon, Va.), 46th in 21:39.3, as well as sophomore Erica Amatori (Cary, N.C.), who ran 22:19.7 for 88th place.

William and Mary will race again next Saturday, Nov. 23, at the NCAA Championships.  The race, hosted by Indiana State in Terre Haute, Ind., is scheduled to begin around 1 p.m.

2013 NCAA Southeast Region Championships - 6K
Panorama Farms - Charlottesville, Va.

Top Five Teams
1. #11 Virginia 57
2. #19 William and Mary 69
3. North Carolina State 142
4. #28 Duke 143
5. Virginia Tech 157

Top Five Individuals
1. Emily Stites (W&M) 19:57.5
2. Cally Macumber (UK) 20:07.9
3. Barbara Strehler (UVA) 20:08.7
4. Juliet Bottorff (DUKE) 20:08.7
5. Joanna Thompson (NCST) 20:12.0

Other W&M All-Region (Top-25 Finishers)
6. Elaina Balouris 20:12.5
12. Meghan McGovern 20:47.2
17. Michelle Britto 21:02.4

Other W&M Finishers
33. Dylan Hassett 21:24.1
46. Carolyn Hennessey 21:39.3
88. Erica Amatori 22:19.7