Team Effort

In the lead up to her fifth Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championship, Margaret Coogan experienced a new feeling. The nerves that usually accompany the biggest race of the fall were replaced by an unmistakable sense of calm for the GW graduate student.

"I was so confident because of my teammates," Coogan said. "Even if I had ever doubted myself, I was confident in my teammates and their ability to pull through.

"Just seeing how hard they had all worked the whole season, that made me feel so good going into the race. There was no questioning anybody's commitment to it. We were all going to leave it all out there."

Indeed, a full-team effort powered GW to its first-ever A-10 team title on Oct. 30 in Cedarville, Ohio. The self-assured group made history happen by placing all five of its scorers among the top 17 finishers and then savored a years-in-the-making breakthrough together.

The Buff and Blue celebrated with a joyous pile-on in the finish chute before accepting their championship hardware and dousing A-10 Coach of the Year Terry Weir with red Gatorade on a banner day for the program.

"It was just such a blast," said Coogan, who set the pace with a second-place finish in a time of 17:31.7. "There's really no other way to describe it."

GW womens cross country celebrates its 2021 A-10 title. — *Nohilly (center) returned for a fifth collegiate season with the goal of celebrating an A-10 title.*

After narrow misses the past two years, GW left little doubt in a triumphant performance that showcased the program's experience and growing depth.

Coogan, Kathryn Nohilly and Peri Pavicic were repeat All-Conference performers, and a pair of newcomers in first-year Olivia Syftestad and graduate student Julia Dempsey helped the Buff and Blue complete their climb to the top of the team standings.

"They're just a level-headed group," Weir said. "Maybe they're not always feeling that way, but at least on the outside, they've got their poker face on and they're competing tough. That consistency has really been the difference, I think, this year."

GW's winning formula came into focus with Coogan, Nohilly and Brittany Wikinson opting to come back for their fifth season in the program.

They were part of teams that placed sixth and then seventh at the conference championship in their first two years representing the Buff and Blue before becoming real contenders in the title race.

GW was runner-up in 2019 behind the excellence of NCAA qualifier Suzanne Dannheim and then finished third last year, just seven points back of champion Dayton, in a meet that was pushed to March by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I feel like it's just been such a building process," said Nohilly, who placed 10^th in 18:13.5 to earn her second All-Conference nod. "Coach has been so amazing about encouraging us by reminding us that everything we do is building the program and helping the program. I'm really grateful that I've gotten to be a part of it."

"Winning A-10s was what we have always been striving for," added Coogan, who finished 64^th in her first trip to the A-10 meet back in 2017 before developing into a three-time All-Conference performer. "I feel like every year we've learned something new that was going to help us get there. Every year, we trained harder and harder and we committed more and more to the team."

This fall, Weir has leaned heavily on those veterans to set the tone, and they've delivered every step of the way. It was special for the ninth-year coach to share the long-awaited title with student-athletes who've modeled everything that he wants his program to be about.

"They didn't have to come back, but the three of them decided to come back just for this reason, to try to win this championship," Weir said. "They've been really busting their rear ends for the last five years to do this, and to watch them get rewarded like that really means a lot."

Margaret Coogan and Peri Pavicic run at the 2021 A-10 Cross Country Championships. — *Coogan (center) and Pavicic were among four All-Conference finishers for the Buff and Blue.*

This group had already made history before the A-10 Championship. The runners built confidence over a series of shining performances, highlighted by the program's first-ever perfect score at the season-opening Mount St. Mary's Duals, and strengthened their bonds amid a demanding workout schedule tailored to their lofty aspirations.

When the conference meet arrived, the determined Buff and Blue proved ready to meet the moment, finishing 25 points clear of second-place Dayton.

Coogan led part of the way before following champion Annabelle Eastman of George Mason to the finish line, while Pavicic wasn't feeling her best but still managed to finish sixth, three spots better than last spring.

Nohilly closed strong over her last 1,000 meters to pick up a few spots and land 10th, and Syfestad grabbed the last All-Conference slot and Co-Most Outstanding Rookie honors by taking 15th in her debut at the conference championship.

By the time Dempsey, a graduate transfer from Merrimack, crossed the line in 17^th place to round out the scorers, it was clear that they'd reached their goal.

"It was so inspiring to watch," said Samantha Nadel, Weir's first-year assistant coach. "Because they all went out and executed, and you could tell they were doing it with that team goal in mind."

After the mission was accomplished, there were plenty of hugs and laughs and more than a few tears. There were messages of congratulations from the program's all-time greats like Dannheim and Megan Hogan who helped lay the foundation for such a moment. And there was a trophy to bring back to Foggy Bottom as the ultimate souvenir to remember a day that no one involved will ever forget.

"Nothing beats doing that with your team," said Coogan, who will lead GW into Friday's NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional as it looks to secure a top-two finish to advance to the national meet as a team for the first time. "Getting second was awesome, but I don't even think about that when I'm looking back at the race.

"I'm only thinking about what our team did. It's just so amazing and so rewarding and so deserved. Everyone worked so hard to make it happen."

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Margaret Coogan

Julia Dempsey

Kathryn Nohilly

Peri Pavicic

Olivia Syftestad