With a 6K time of 19:17, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Elise DeRoo ’12 has unquestionable talent on the cross country course. Equally impressive, however, is the molecular biology major’s 3.90 GPA.
This formidable combination of brains and speed earned her the Patriot League’s 2010 Female Scholar-Athlete Award.
The honor, which requires a minimum 3.20 GPA and for the nominee to be a vital player in his or her sport, is given annually to one male and one female. As a record-setting runner and dedicated student, DeRoo was a natural choice.
The award comes a week after DeRoo captured the Patriot League individual title with her time of 19:17, which broke the school record.
Making her win even sweeter, the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø women’s team overall outran everyone else, taking its first-ever Patriot League championship in school history.
Leading the way with DeRoo was Chelsea Burns ’12, who finished second overall with a personal best time of 20:07. Following DeRoo and Burns were Julie Tarallo ’11 in ninth place, Kendall Lyons ’12 in 13th, and Caroline Prins ’13 in 17th.
The four runners in the top fifteen will compete in the NCAA Championship Qualifier on Friday, Nov. 12.
No matter what happens there, however, the women have something to be proud of, having made a huge mark on 51³Ô¹ÏÍø athletics history.