General

MIT Coaching Staff Honored as Coaching Staff of the Year as NEWMAC Recognizes Women's Cross Country Postseason Awards

WESTWOOD, Mass – After winning their 17th-straight NEWMAC title at the 2024 NEWMAC Women's Cross Country Championships, the MIT coaching staff earned the honor of 2024 NEWMAC Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year. The Engineers, currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, registered a winning score of 16 points and possessed five of the top six finishers. The MIT coaching staff is led by Riley Macon, along with director Julie Heyde, and assistants Whitney Macon and Brody Smith.

MIT’s Kate Sanderson (West Hartford, Conn.) was named NEWMAC Athlete of the Year after clocking in a time of 21:40.2 to win the 6K race at Nehoiden Golf Course. MIT’s Ava Hartman (New Orleans, La.) was tabbed Rookie of the Year, as she finished eleventh in the race, first amongst rookies, with a time of 22:13.6.  

In addition, the top 19 finishers at the NEWMAC Championship earned All-Conference honors.

NEWMAC All-Conference Team
  1. Kate Sanderson (Jr., West Hartford, Conn.) – MIT – 21:40.2
  2. Lexi Fernandez (Jr., Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) – MIT – 21:45.3
  3. Christina Crow (Sr., Mercer Island, Wash.) – MIT – 21:54.3
  4. Gillian Roeder (Gr., Delmar, N.Y.) – MIT – 21:56.2
  5. Claire Semerod (Jr., Centennial, Colo.) – Coast Guard – 21:57.3 
  6. Heather Jensen (So., Manhattan Beach, Calif.) – MIT – 21:58.5
  7. Ella Whinney (Jr., Madison, Wis.) – Wellesley – 22:01.9
  8. Ruby Krasnow (Sr., Huntsville, Ala.) – Clark – 22:02.7
  9. Paige Phillips (Sr., Wilmington, N.C.) – Coast Guard - 22:05.9
  10. Yasmin Defne Dadikhi (Jr., Istanbul, Turkiye) – Emerson – 22:06.7
  11. Ava Hartman (Fy., New Orleans, La.) – MIT – 22:13.6
  12. Rujuta Sane (Jr., Chandler, Ariz.) – MIT – 22:17.4
  13. Megan Diulus (So., Akron, Ohio) – MIT – 22:21.9
  14. Pria Parker (Sr., Hingham, Mass.) – Smith – 22:22.2
  15. Liv Girand (So., New York, N.Y.) – MIT – 22:26.9
  16. Lyda Martin (Jr., San Antonio, Texas) – Smith – 22:44.5
  17. Lauren Mellon (Jr., Falls Church, Va.) – Coast Guard – 22:49.1
  18. Erin Hovendon (Jr., Laurel Park, N.C.) – MIT – 22:54.3
  19. Lucy Kreipke (So., Princeton, N.J.) – Smith – 23:00.8 
About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports