ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — Senior Kate Wachter of St. Mary’s College of Maryland earned the United East Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week award on September 9, 2025, the second consecutive week the honor went to a Seahawk after sophomore Ella Mitchell received it on September 2. Wachter, from Takoma Park and a Montgomery Blair High School graduate, led her team at the Philadelphia Cross Classic on September 6, hosted by Thomas Jefferson University, finishing ninth in the 5K race with a time of 21:43.67 among 58 competitors.
The St. Mary’s women’s team placed third in the seven-team field with 79 points, competing against five NCAA Division II programs and outperforming Division III rivals Immaculata University in fourth place and Albright College, which posted an incomplete score. The Philadelphia Cross Classic, held at Belmont Plateau, features a 5K course for women that includes rolling hills and urban park paths, testing early-season fitness in a competitive mid-Atlantic setting.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland, competing in NCAA Division III as part of the United East Conference, maintains a schedule that includes invitationals in Virginia and Pennsylvania before the conference championships. The Seahawks opened their season with this meet, demonstrating solid team depth by scoring points across multiple runners in a field dominated by higher-division teams. The United East Conference, which includes 14 institutions from Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York, awards weekly honors based on recent race performances, emphasizing individual placements and times relative to the competition level.
Wachter’s ninth-place finish marked her first career conference weekly recognition, highlighting her role as the team’s top performer at the event. The 5K distance is standard for women’s college cross country, and her time positions her well for upcoming races on similar terrain. The United East Conference championships are scheduled for November 2 at Greenwell State Park in Hollywood, Maryland, a venue in St. Mary’s County that offers flat, spectator-friendly courses along the Potomac River, providing a home advantage for the Seahawks.
The team’s next competition is the Penn State Brandywine Invitational on September 12 at 5:30 p.m. in Media, Pennsylvania, which serves as a preview for the conference championship course. This invitational typically features 5K races for women on wooded trails with moderate elevation, allowing teams to gauge strategies for the postseason. St. Mary’s women’s program enters 2025 as four-time defending United East champions, with the schedule designed to build toward NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regionals on November 15 in Newville, Pennsylvania, and potential national championships on November 22 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Cross country teams in the United East Conference score based on the placements of their top seven runners, with lower total points determining the winner. Wachter’s leadership in the top 10 contributed directly to the team’s third-place result, underscoring the importance of strong individual efforts in team success. The conference’s weekly awards process involves coach nominations and league office selection, focusing on metrics like finishing position and time in relation to field averages.
Southern Maryland’s cross country programs, including St. Mary’s, benefit from the region’s network of state parks and riverfront trails for training. Greenwell State Park, site of the championships, spans 1,126 acres with paths that mimic invitational courses, allowing local athletes to prepare effectively. St. Mary’s County residents often follow the Seahawks’ races, as the college draws runners from nearby high schools in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, fostering regional athletic ties.
The women’s team, under head coach Reava Potter in her fifth year, emphasizes endurance training on campus paths near the St. Mary’s River. Potter’s approach includes interval sessions and long runs to handle variable fall weather, common in Southern Maryland meets. The program competes in a conference where Division III rules limit scholarships, prioritizing academic-athletic balance for student-athletes like Wachter, who also earned United East Fall All-Academic Team honors in 2024.
Early-season invitationals like the Philadelphia Cross Classic provide benchmarks against Division II opponents, helping teams adjust pacing and tactics. St. Mary’s third-place finish indicates progress toward defending their title, with the Brandywine meet offering another opportunity to refine lineups. The United East schedule rotates venues to ensure fairness, with Southern Maryland sites like Greenwell hosting periodically to highlight local facilities.
Wachter’s award continues a trend of Seahawk recognition, building momentum for the season. The team’s focus on consistent performances aims for qualification to regionals, where top teams advance based on collective scores. In Southern Maryland, cross country events draw community support at accessible parks, integrating the sport with the area’s outdoor recreation culture.
The 2025 season ledger for St. Mary’s includes stops that prepare for postseason play, with the ultimate goal of NCAA nationals. Runners like Wachter exemplify the dedication required, training through Maryland’s humid summers for crisp fall races. The United East Conference’s structure supports competitive balance, with weekly honors motivating athletes across the league.
