The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s cross country team captured its fifth consecutive United East Conference championship on Nov. 1, 2025, by a score of 53-58 over Lancaster Bible College in an eight-team meet at Penn State Brandywine. Sophomore Ella Mitchell placed second overall in 24:25.10 on the 6-kilometer course, leading a pack that included three Seahawks in the top 10 finishers.
Mitchell, from Towson and Bryn Mawr School, trailed only Cairn University’s Clarisse Hayden, who won in 23:58.48 and earned Runner of the Year for the second year running. Senior Kate Wachter, a Takoma Park resident and Montgomery Blair High School graduate, crossed seventh in 26:10.30 to give St. Mary’s an early edge. First-year Elle Wilson, out of Westminster and Westminster High School, followed in 10th at 26:27.44.
The scoring depth proved decisive. First-year Charlotte Crabtree, from Annapolis and Broadneck High School, took 18th in 28:03.21, while junior Avery Arizzi, also from Arnold and Broadneck, clocked a season-best 28:10.82 for 19th. Their efforts sealed the low total, marking the program’s perfect 5-for-5 record in conference titles since joining the United East in 2021.
Penn State Harrisburg’s MaKayla Reichel received Rookie of the Year honors, and Lancaster Bible’s Silas Eckroad was named Coach of the Year. The meet, held under clear afternoon skies on a rolling grass layout typical of Pennsylvania intercollegiate courses, highlighted the conference’s competitive balance across its Pennsylvania- and Maryland-based members.
Fifth-year head coach Reava Potter, who directs both cross country and track programs at St. Mary’s, guided the squad through a season of steady progression. Potter, who announced the 2025 schedule in July, emphasized consistent training on the college’s riverside paths along the St. Mary’s River. The team opened with a third-place showing at the Paul Short Invitational in September, then notched a win at the Seahawk Invitational before peaking at conference.
This victory extends a dynasty built on Maryland talent. Mitchell’s runner-up finish built on her 2024 all-conference nod, while Wachter’s seventh place capped a senior campaign that included personal records at the Mount St. Mary’s Duals. Wilson and Crabtree, both freshmen, represented the influx of local recruits; Broadneck High, in Anne Arundel County, supplied two of the top five scorers, underscoring ties to the mid-Atlantic pipeline. Arizzi’s late surge, shaving nearly 20 seconds off her prior best, reflected the group’s resilience after a rain-soaked early-season meet at Goucher College.
Past regional appearances include a 2024 trip to Lock Haven University, where the Seahawks placed 18th among 28 teams, and a 2022 showing at DeSales University that advanced two runners to all-region honors. Those outings, held on varied terrains from Pennsylvania farms to Virginia hills, test endurance beyond conference loops. The 6K distance, standard for Division III women, demands tactical pacing over hills and flats, as seen in Mitchell’s controlled early splits that closed Hayden’s gap to 26 seconds.
The championship sweep — women’s title alongside a second-place men’s finish — bolsters St. Mary’s bid for the United East Presidents’ Cup, awarded annually for overall athletic excellence. The college claimed the cup in 2024, its second straight, across 20 varsity sports. For the women, this run traces to 2021’s inaugural title at Oak Ridge Park in Hughesville, Maryland, where an average time of 27:01.66 set the tone.
Next up, the Seahawks head to the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional on Nov. 15 at Big Spring High School in Newville, Pennsylvania. The 12 p.m. start on a 5-mile course will determine national qualifiers; top-two teams and the first 35 individuals advance to the Dec. 6 NCAA Championships in East Lansing, Michigan. Potter’s roster, blending seven Maryland natives among its 12 members, eyes a return to the elite 20 regionally.
