Women's Cross Country | August 29, 2019
PHILADELPHIA – After placing fourth at the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships a season ago, the La Salle University women's cross country team returns the majority of its core unit for the 2019 season, including a group of sisters who are ready to pave the way.
The Mancini sisters have been a key component to the program over the last three years, and another member of the family has joined in on the fun.
Grace Mancini,
Liz Mancini,
El Mancini and now
Christine Mancini will all compete together on the same team. Leading the way will be Grace, who enters her senior year after a spectacular junior season.
Grace finished second at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional and raced at the NCAA Championships last fall. She also earned all-conference honors for the second straight year after placing sixth at the A-10 Championships, leading for a good portion of the race. The season before that, Grace finished 11th at the A-10 meet, and she has improved every season, both in track and cross country.
"[Grace] is a really good example of starting at one point and gradually chipping away at what you want to do," explained head coach
Tom Peterson. "That wave of watching Grace progress season by season has really had a strong effect on the girls on the team, seeing that it really truly is about her work ethic. And for them specifically too, it's going to be about their work ethic."
Liz also had a strong season in 2018 as a freshman, earning Most Outstanding Rookie Performer and all-conference recognition behind a 14th place showing at the A-10 Championships. Grace, Liz and El return as the team's top three finishers at regionals a year ago.
Junior
Deirdre Gilmore,
Lexi Sciortino and
Allana Powlette also bring plenty of racing experience to the lineup as each competed at the A-10 Championships the last two years and also raced at regionals. Peterson will mix in a group of freshmen as well after adding six newcomers to the roster this fall.
The Explorers, who were selected third in the A-10 preseason poll last week, begin the 2019 season at the Lehigh Invitational on Friday. Competition is set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
