Eagles Primed for ACC Championship

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Boston College women's cross country team will open its championship racing on home turf, competing in the ACC Cross Country Championship at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 26 at Franklin Park.

"It is always a great opportunity for the team to compete at an ACC Championship," head coach Randy Thomas said. "The quality of competition is excellent and that offers an environment that hopefully will raise each individual's goals and expectations."

Five ACC programs are ranked in the USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll, including No. 12 NC State, the reigning back-to-back ACC Champion. Notre Dame is ranked 18th and Georgia Tech is 22nd, while No. 25 Syracuse and No. 29 Florida State are also in the top-30. Syracuse took home the individual title last season with then-senior Paige Stoner finishing in 19:52.0.

The Eagles are looking to improve on last season's 13th-place finish and will have experience on their side after racing the Franklin Park course twice already this season. Boston College hosted the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown on Sept. 21 at Franklin Park, where the Eagles finished 12th among some of the top teams in the nation with eight Eagles running sub-19-minute times. The Eagles also ran the course on Oct. 6 at the New England (NEICAAA) Championship, winning the team title by placing four runners in the top-10.

Senior Paige Duca led BC at the Battle in Beantown while freshman Fian Sullivan Sweeney was the first Eagle across the line at the New England Championship and the Penn State National Open on Oct. 12. Duca, senior Delia Hayes and sophomore Kylee Raftis all raced last year for the Eagles at the 2017 ACC Championship in Louisville, Ky.

The women's championship will begin at 10 a.m. at Franklin Park and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. The award ceremony will take place at approximately 11:30 a.m. at the conclusion of the men's championship.

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Players Mentioned

Paige Duca

Delia Hayes

Kylee Raftis

Fian Sullivan Sweeney