SAINT LEO, Fla. (November 20, 2021) -- Graduate student Bethaney Donnelly (Manchester, United Kingdom) became the first runner in the history of the Franklin Pierce University women's cross country team to represent the program at the NCAA Championship national meet on Saturday morning. Donnelly turned in a 6k time of 22:02 to take 85^th, in a 250-athlete field. The NCAA Championship was hosted by Saint Leo University at Abbey Golf Course.

Donnelly was 52^nd after hitting the opening 550-meter split in just 1:51, and was 55^th after 1.3k, which she finished in 4:22. She was then 70^th at the 3k split (10:40), 84^th at the 4.3k split (15:38), and 88^th at the 5k split (18:22). Donnelly would pick up three spots by running the final 1000 meters in 3:40, to come home 85^th.

The 85^th marked the second-highest finish ever by a Raven at the national cross country meet, trailing only a 53^rd-place finish by Colton Ham on the men's side in 2015.

For Donnelly, it capped an impressive individual season, which included a pair of meet wins: at the Smith College Invitational on Sept. 11, and at home in the Bruce Kirsh Cross Country Cup on Oct. 2. She went on to pick up All-Northeast-10 Conference First Team accolades with a fourth-place finish at the NE10 Championship on Oct. 24. Donnelly did one better at the NCAA Championship East Regional on Nov. 6, when she took third to earn All-East Region honors and punch her ticket through to Saturday's national meet.