New Britain, CT -- After having its five-year title streak broken last season, Central Connecticut left no room for doubt this morning, recording a historic eighth NEC Women's Cross Country championship on its home course at Stanley Quarter Park in New Britain, CT.

The eight titles tied Blue Devils with Quinnipiac for the most in NEC women's cross country history. CCSU won six of the last seven NEC team titles in the sport.

CCSU, which earned runner-up status last season in a meet that came down to a tiebreaker with Stonehill, took first place in the 5K race with 39 points. The Blue Devils enjoyed an 18-point cushion over runner-up Saint Francis U (57 points), which posted its best finish since 2018. Wagner finished third with 62 points and Stonehill compiled 83 points for a fourth place showing.

NEC Outstanding Performer and individual winner Brooke Morabito (New Milford, CT/New Milford) finished 43 seconds ahead of the field, crossing the tape in 16:39.6 to shatter the championship record formerly held by Quinnipiac's Rebecca White, who ran 17:17.1 back in 2010. The grad student also set a Stanley Quarter Park course record, lowering Andrea Walkonen's 2008 mark by 10 seconds. Morabito's steady progression up the NEC ranks includes four top-10 finishes, improving from seventh place in 2020-21 to fifth in 2021 and third in 2022 before winning it all in her final year in New Britain. Her NEC individual crown was the tenth captured by a CCSU harrier in its history.

LIU junior Hasnae Goulamzi (Taliouine, Morocco/ohamed 6) was the individual runner up, finished in in 17:22.90, and was followed by Stonehill's Jordan Malloy (Colchester, CT/Bacon Academy) who placed third with a time of 17:32.20. It marked the third top-10 individual finish in Malloy's career.

Senior Tesslyn Helms (Pittsburgh, PA/Oakland Catholic) paced Saint Francis U, clocking in at 17:37.90 for fourth place. Helns was the 2023 NEC runner-up. Laura Trenado (Madrid, Spain/IES Parque de Lisboa) and Rylee Ferretti (Staten Island, NY/New Dorp High School) ended in fifth and sixth place, running 17:50.8 and 17:55.5, respectively.

NEC Freshman of the Year honors went to Saint Francis U's Rosemary Gaydos (Irwin, PA/Norwin), who was the top freshman finisher with a time of 18:52.20 and ended the race nineteenth overall.

The top 14 finishers were named to the All-Conference team. CCSU led the way with five All-NEC honorees.

2024 NEC Women's Cross Country Final Results

1. CCSU- 39
2. Saint Francis U - 57
3. Wagner - 62
4. Stonehill - 83
5. LIU - 167
6. Mercyhurst - 175
7. Le Moyne - 209
8. FDU - 217
9. Chicago State - 229

2024 NEC Women's Cross Country All-Conference Team