Seven Named All Conference; Berg-Haryasz Coach of the Year

WESTFIELD, Mass. -   Westfield State University women's cross country officially had seven runners named to the All-Conference team, and Owls' head coach Marlee Berg-Haryasz was selected as the conference coach of the year, the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference announced on Wednesday.

Seven Owls runners finished in the top 10 at the league's championship meet on Saturday to earn all-conference status.

Junior Reese Stevens (Agawam, Mass.) placed second in 18:33.77 on the 5k course at Stanley Park on Saturday.  She earned all-conference honors for the second straight year after placing seventh a year ago

Senior Julianne Kelly (Natick, Mass.) was fourth in 19:05.01, earning all-conference honors for the fourth straight year, as she placed tenth, ninth, third and fourth in four successive conference title meets.

Senior Shea Hamel (Longmeadow, Mass.) in fifth in 19:16.73.   Hamel also was tabbed for all-conference honors for the fourth straight season.  She was the circuit's Rookie of the Year in 2022.

Senior Tealei Chandonnet (Dracut, Mass./Greater Lowell Tech) placed sixth with a time of 19:25.09.  She earns all conference status for the third time in her career, as she scored in the top 10 in 2022, 2024 and 2025.

Sophomore Brooke Soucy (Methuen, Mass.) was seventh in a time of 19:28.39 on Saturday, and classmate Samantha Panzeri (Billerica/Eagle Hill) was eighth, stopping the clock in 19:32.77.   Soucy and Panzeri each earned all-conference honors for the first time in their careers.

Senior Brynne LeCours (Haverhill, Mass.) rounded out the Owls top seven in 10^th place in 19:46.72, making a second straight appearance on the All-Conference squad.

Berg-Haryasz was selected as the coach of the year by her peers after guiding the Owls to the meet title.  The Owls scored 23 points, three off their record-best of 20 points at the 2024 championship meet (15 is a 'perfect' score in cross country, when runners from a single team occupy placings 1 through 5 in the results).   It is the second straight coach of the year honor for Berg-Haryasz, and her third in four years at the helm of the Owls program.

Westfield is idle this weekend before competing at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. on November 18.