Elon Women’s Cross Country Sweeps CAA Postseason Awards

RICHMOND, Va. – The Elon University women’s cross country team swept the Colonial Athletic Association major individual awards as the league office announced its 2019 cross country postseason awards as voted by the league coaches on Thursday morning, Dec. 12.

CAA Release

Senior Scolasticah Kemei was named the CAA Female Runner of the Year, the second straight season that Elon has had an athlete receive the honor. Maria Ahm garnered CAA Rookie of the Year accolades while head coach Kevin Jermyn was tabbed the Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year by his peers.

Kemei posted one of the best individual seasons ever by an Elon female, winning four races during the year including the CAA individual title at the league championships. The Eldoret, Kenya, native twice set the school-record in the 6K, posting a season-best time of 20:25.67 at the ECU Pirate Invitational while taking gold in the race. Since joining the CAA in 2014, Elon has had four runners selected the league’s Runner of the Year between the men’s and women’s teams.

Ahm is the third Elon female to receive CAA Rookie of the Year honors and the first since 2016. A native of Holbæk, Denmark, Ahm was the top freshman finisher at the CAA Championships with her time of 20:51.2. She also moved into the program’s top-10 performance list in the 6K with a time of 21:02.29 at the ECU Pirate Invitational.

Jermyn helped the Phoenix women to its first-ever CAA title and the first conference championship of any kind between the men’s and women’s team at the Division I level. Elon scored 41 points at the league championships to hold off challenges from Delaware (62) and William & Mary (68). Jermyn also guided the maroon and gold to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships, its highest since 2015.

The CAA also announced the full all-league team on Thursday. The women’s side was comprised of the top-14 finishers at the CAA Championships with Kemei, Melissa Anastasakis, Ahm and Hannah Preeo receiving recognition for the Phoenix. It’s the first time that the Phoenix women has had four all-conference honorees since 2014.

On the men’s side, the top-12 finishers at the CAA Championships earned all-league honors. Elon’s Andrew Miller and Aidan Tierney represented the maroon and gold men on the All-CAA squad after helping the Phoenix to a third-place standing at the league championships.

2019 CAA Women’s Cross Country Awards
CAA Runner of the Year: Scolasticah Kemei, Elon
CAA Rookie of the Year: Maria Ahm, Elon
CAA Coach of the Year: Kevin Jermyn, Elon

All-CAA Team
Maria Ahm, Elon
Melissa Anastasakis, Elon
Abby Bolt, Delaware
Lauren Finikiotis, William & Mary
Olivia Janke, Towson
Mackenzie Jones, Delaware
Scolasticah Kemei, Elon
Charlotte Kowalk, William & Mary
Tess Masselink, Charleston
Olivia Paxton, William & Mary
Roxanne Ramirez, Delaware
Emma Rogers, William & Mary
Louiza Wise, Northeastern
Hannah Preeo, Elon

2019 CAA Men’s Cross Country Awards
CAA Runner of the Year: Alex Masai, Hofstra
CAA Rookie of the Year: Isa Suleiman, Hofstra
CAA Coach of the Year: Forest Braden, William & Mary

Men’s All-CAA Team
Cameron Dickson, Northeastern
Evan Goodall, William & Mary
Evan Jones, UNCW
Alexander Korczynski, Northeastern
Cooper Leslie, William & Mary
Patrick Lynch, William & Mary
Alex Masai, Hofstra
Andrew Miller, Elon
JP Trojan, William & Mary
Isa Suleiman, Hofstra
Aidan Tierney, Elon
Spencer Tsai, William & Mary