WINTRHOP, Mass. – For the second straight season the Great Northeast Athletic Conference's best runner and coach hailed from Suffolk University as Emily Manfra took home GNAC Runner of the Year and Will Feldman repeated as GNAC Coach of the Year to anchor the Rams' five league honorees.
Along with the top honors, Manfra earned a place on the first-team, while Skyler Spanbauer and Marin Stamer represented the blue-and-god on the second squad.
Manfra became the most decorated league athlete in program history November 2 when she cruised past her conference counterparts in the league's first-ever 6K championship race. The Stoneham, Massachusetts, product clocked in at 23:11 to top the 94-runner field, claiming runner of the year status in the process. She is the second-ever Ram to accomplish the feat, joining her co-captain Emma Weisse, the 2018 GNAC Runner of the Year. Manfra's top honor went along with a spot on first team, her third first-team nod in her career, which ties Weisse for a program record. Throughout her four-year career, Manfra has collected conference accolades and boasts a Rams' record of five: three first-team nods, runner and rookie of the year, respectively.
Spanbeauer and Stamer each earned all-conference recognition for the first times in their careers. Stamer placed 10th after putting in a 25:29 time in her first collegiate championship, while Spanbauer clocked in 25:48 to take 13th.
Feldman was voted by his peers as the conference's best coach for the second straight season after he directed the Rams to a league runner-up finish for the second straight season. The third-year head coach, who became the first-ever Suffolk head coach to garner the league's top coaching honor, has led half of the Rams' 16 all-time all-league honorees including the program's only runners of the year, which were achieved by Weisse (2018) and Manfra (2019) in the last two seasons.
Olivia Chilcott represented the Rams on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team, which was established to honor one player from each team in the conference for outstanding dedication to sportsmanship and for their portrayal of good sportsmanship, fair play and a positive attitude.
Suffolk now turns its attention to the regional race as the Rams are set to travel to Brunswich, Maine, this weekend for 2019 NCAA New England Regionals hosted by Bowdoin.
2019 WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-GNAC
FIRST-TEAM(Top Seven Finishers)
Emily Manfra, Suffolk
Shannon O'Connell, Colby Sawyer
Zoe Utton, Colby Sawyer
Magdalene Mann, Regis
Samantha Molinari, Rivier
Alice Najimy, Simmons
Remi Parker, Norwich
SECOND-TEAM (Eight – 14th Place)
Alison Fairbairn, Colby Sawyer
Molly Winship, Emmanuel
Marin Stamer, Suffolk
Emily Carrigan, Colby Sawyer
Maddi Boucias, Regis
Skyler Spanbauer, Suffolk
Hannah Fitzpatrick, Emmanuel
GNAC Women's Runner of the Year: Emily Manfra, Suffolk
GNAC Women's Rookie of the Shannon O'Connell, Colby Sawyer
GNAC Women's Coach of the Year: Will Feldman, Suffolk
GNAC Women's Institutional Sportsmanship Award: Saint Joseph's (Maine)
GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team
Abbie Castriotta, Colby Sawyer
Tierney Bisillion, Emmanuel
Samantha Passetto, Johnson & Wales
Amanda Miller, Lasell
Belle Magna, Norwich
Maggie Mann, Regis
Samantha Hilsman, Rivier
Liz Cummons, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Emily Wassick, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Gabby Freeman, Simmons
Olivia Chilcott, Suffolk