About The Team
The men and women's cross country programs continue to grow
under the direction of sixth-year head coach Amy
Lane. Coach Lane, whose training philosophy combines
traditional runs with innovative cross-training techniques, is
focused on recruiting talented runners from throughout the New
England and Northeast regions.
Both teams have combined to produce eight All-Conference runners,
10 Academic All-Americans, and one Conference Runner of the Year.
The women's team has been recognized as a Division III Academic
All-American team in four of the last nine years. They also won
consecutive Conference Championships in 2000 and 2001, and narrowly
missed claiming their third consecutive championship in 2002.
Last season, the Blazers competed in the inaugural New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship and NCAA Division III New England Qualifier.
Senior Jill Bigos (South Hadley, MA) placed second among 49 runners at the NECC Championship in a time of 21:31 to earn First Team All-NECC honors. Earlier in the season, Bigos posted an impressive 58th place finish in the 206-runner field at the James Earley Invitational.
Freshman Lilliana Cuevas (Westfield, MA) (21st),
junior Amanda Koch (Williston, VT) (27th),
freshmen Becka Boisseau (Chicopee, MA) (29th), and
Erica Cruz (Westfield, MA) (36th) all recorded
solid finishes to help the Blazers finish third in the seven-team
NECC Championship.
Coach Lane upgrades the cross country schedule every year to
include meets against many of the best Division II and III teams in
New England and New York. The Blazers conclude each season with
three championships - the NECC Championship, the ECAC Division III
Championship, and the NCAA Division III New England Qualifier.
The Blazers will continue to host the Blazers Invitational and the
2009 NECC Cross Country Championships at the Chicopee Memorial
State Park. This site provides soft surfaced trails for optimized
training, and also serves as the home practice and competition site
for the two teams throughout the season.