RUTHERFORD, NJ – The Felician University Women’s Cross Country team made history yesterday by clinching the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia. This marks the first women’s CACC championship title for Felician University.

Five of seven Felician University runners finished in the top 20. This gave the Golden Falcons 36 points on the 5k course and a finalized time of 1:43.06.

Fifth year senior Bri Balderas of Somerset, NJ and Senior Ashley Linares of Passaic, NJ secured first and second place, and helped to propel the Golden Falcons to victory. Balderas finished first, crossing the finish line in just over 20 minutes at 20:02.4. Linares was second with a time of 20:10.1.

Cynthia Delapaz of Alvin, TX placed 4th, Kadreya Simeon of Pompton Plains, NJ came in 12th and in 17th place was North Bergen, NJ local, Shayla Morales. Also running in support of the team were Woodbridge, NJ resident, Catherine Catipay, and Kelsey Pereira of Cliffside Park, NJ.

University President James W. Crawford, III remarked, “I am very proud of this team. Dedication and commitment are the hallmark of Felician athletes. These Golden Falcons put Felician University and all of our values on the map.”

The team is deftly guided by Garfield, NJ native and first year head coach, Anthony Scannella.

The Golden Falcons head to the NCAA East Regional Championship in Farmingdale, NY at Bethpage State Park on Saturday, November 19.

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About Felician University

Felician University inspires and engages more than 2,100 undergraduate, graduate, and adult education students through programs in the Schools of Arts & Sciences, Business & Information Sciences, Nursing, and Education. Over the past five years, Felician University has ranked 3rd among private institutions in New Jersey for best value according to payscale.com and #1 Safest College Campus in New Jersey according to niche.com. The Master of Science in Nursing program is ranked one of the best online graduate nursing programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. Felician University was designated as a Military Friendly School (Gold Status) for the ninth year recognizing its strong support for Veteran students.  The university is recognized for its diversity as an HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) and MSI (Minority Serving Institution), having underrepresented students comprise more than half of the student population. With campuses in Rutherford and Lodi, New Jersey, the Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. For more information, please visit https://felician.edu.