Mascoli Set for NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships

EAST STROUDSBURG – Sophomore Rose Mascoli will attempt to become East Stroudsburg University’s fifth All-American in women’s cross country when she takes to the course at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.

Mascoli placed fourth at the NCAA Atlantic Regional on November 20, an eight-place improvement over her finish at the PSAC Championships two weeks earlier. Her time of 21:54.3 was 19 seconds ahead of fifth-place finisher Mary Dell of Shippensburg, an All-American last fall, as she needed to place in the top five to punch her ticket to Louisville.

Mascoli’s impressive performance at the regional, where she moved up 38 spots from a 42nd-place finish as a freshman, was the latest in a superb sophomore season. She won individual titles at the Don Cathcart Invitational at Salisbury (Md.) and ESU’s Nevins Invitational, was second at the Lafayette Invitational, fourth at the Fordham Ram Invitational and fifth at the Monmouth Invitational. She set ESU’s course records at Salisbury and the Nevins Invitational.

The sophomore will be the first Warrior to compete at the NCAA Division II Championships since Vanessa Andes, who was an All-American in 2003 and 2004. Other All-America performances were turned in by Tina Vosper (1998), Jan Blake (1996) and Laura Mason (1982).

The top 40 finishers in the field will earn All-America status from the U.S. Track & Field Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The PSAC had four All-Americans last year in Priscilla Jennings (Millersville), Jennifer Harpp (Slippery Rock), Dell (Shippensburg) and Christie Turak (Mercyhurst).

The PSAC will be represented by teams from Shippensburg and Kutztown, the top two finishers at the Atlantic Regional, along with three individuals in Mascoli, Harpp and Millersville’s Elicia Anderson. Shippensburg’s Neely Spence, the regional champion, was 43rd last year.