WINTHROP, Mass. – After completing her first collegiate race as the second Regis finisher last Friday at the Wellesley Invitational, Ashleigh Kelley (Stoneham, Mass.) has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Cross Country Rookie of the Week, announced Tuesday by the league office.
Kelley finished 20th overall in the five-kilometer event at the Nehoiden Golf Course in Wellesley, Mass., with a time of 20:58.7, averaging 6:46 per mile. She was able to earn her spot in the top 20 with a strong finishing effort, crossing the finish line ahead of her nearest competitor by just a half-second.
"Ashleigh was a solid high school runner and one of our top recruits," head cross country coach Kourtney Bonsey said. "She executed the race plan we discussed, and the results show. I'm looking forward to seeing her continue to improve and grow as a collegiate runner this season."
Kelley and the rest of the Regis College cross country team will next compete at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational Saturday, Sept. 15. The men's five-mile race is scheduled to begin at 11:15 a.m., followed by the women's five-kilometer event at 12:00 p.m.