Courtesy Westfield State Sports Information

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kerry Arouca ran like an All American to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Division III national women's cross country championships on Saturday morning, Nov. 21, at the Highland Hills golf course.

The Westfield State senior from Hansen placed 19th out of 280 runners (the top 35 earn All-America status) with a time of 22:34.1 on the 6,000 meter course. Significant factors to her All-America performance were getting off to a fast start and handling the big-meet atmosphere. Last year she placed 83rd in her first appearance at the national championships.

"I was really nervous last year and really didn't know what to expect," said Arouca, who is now a veteran of national meets as she placed third in the steeplechase at last spring's NCAA outdoor track championships. "I finally realized that being nervous kills races.

"But today's meet just felt like a MASCAC meet on my home course," she added.

This was the NCAA national stage, however, and Arouca excelled from start to finish. She was in the top 10 as the two starting lines merged near the 300 meter mark and remained in the top 25 throughout most of the race. She finished strong, passing a few runners on the muddy course that was saturated with rain the previous two days.

Arouca finished fifth at the New England regionals a week ago, but she was the second New England runner to cross the finish line at the national championships. MIT's Maria Monk placed 13th in 22:29.5.

"I told her to go out fast the first 300 meters and make sure your last mile is the fastest," said Westfield head coach Bill Devine, who noted she ran a 5:33 first mile.

Devine credits much of Arouca's success on the national level to her work ethic.

"Nothing will work unless you do" said Devine in quoting John Wooden, his favorite coach. "From the time she was a freshman to her senior year she worked hard year round."

Arouca is Westfield's second female to earn All-America honors in cross country. Westfield native Cindy Sturm won the national championship at the inaugural meet in 1981 and Colleen Murphy finished 24th in 1982.