RICHMOND, Va. – Nick Ciolkowski of the Elon University men’s cross country team was named the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Cross Country Athlete and Rookie of the Year as announced by the league office on Wednesday, Dec. 9. On the women’s side, Coralea Geraniotis was named the CAA Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year as the Phoenix overall had five athletes recognized in for the 2015 CAA Cross Country season awards.
Ciolkowski became the first student-athlete to be named both the CAA Athlete and Rookie of the Year in the same season. The Fairport, N.Y., native claimed the league’s individual title after positing a personal-best time of 24:22.3 in the 8K race, the second-best performance in school history. Ciolkowski’s efforts earned him the Most Outstanding Performer of the Meet award and All-CAA honors. He concluded his rookie campaign as the top CAA finisher at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships as he clocked a 30:38 in the 10K race and was 37th overall.
Geraniotis was the top freshman finisher at the CAA Championships after finishing 15th overall with a time of 21:45. She was also the top CAA freshman finisher at NCAA Southeast Regional Championships, placing 61st overall in a very competitive field. She got the season off to a strong start with a 23rd place finish at the Adidas XC Challenge with a 5K time of 18:19.
The league also honored Kimberly Johansen and Elyse Bierut from the Elon women’s team and Ryan Gwaltney from the Phoenix men’s program. Johansen was the Phoenix’s top finisher at the CAA Championships as the Chelmsford, England, native clocked a time of 20:58.0 and was sixth overall. That time is the second-fastest performance on the school’s all-time performance list. She also finished 25th at the NCAA Southeast Regionals with her time of 21:38.6 and became second female runner in school history to receive All-Region accolades.
Bierut also received All-CAA accolades for the second straight season. The Rocky River, Ohio, native was eighth overall at the CAA Championships after setting a new personal-best time of 21:03.8. She concluded her cross country career with a 40th-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships with her time of 22:01.7.
Bierut was the Phoenix female representative on the CAA All-Academic team while Gwaltney earned a spot on the men’s side. Gwaltney broke into the top-five in school history in the 10K at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships as the Anaheim Hills, Calif., native clocked in a 32:10.8 in the race.
2015 All-CAA Men’s Cross Country Team Name School Cl. Hometown Nick Ciolkowski Elon Fr. Fairport, N.Y. Faris Sakallah William & Mary Jr. Chantilly, Va. Ryan Gousse William & Mary Sr. Apopka, Fla. Trevor Sleight William & Mary Jr. Asheville, N.C. David Barney William & Mary R-So. Lynchburg, Va. Nephat Maritim Northeastern Gr. Kericho, Kenya Evan Woods William & Mary Fr. Bethesda, Ma. Christian Stafford Northeastern So. Pembroke, Mass. Ryan Thompson William & Mary R-Fr. Bristow, Va. Alex Boseman UNCW So. Raleigh, N.C. Dawson Connell William & Mary So. Yorktown, Va. Douglas Dourado Hofstra Gr. Sao Paulo, Brazil CAA Men’s XC Athlete of the Year: Nick Ciolkowski, Elon CAA Men’s XC Rookie of the Year: Nick Ciolkowski, Elon CAA Men’s XC Coach of the Year: Stephen Walsh, William & Mary 2015 All-CAA Women’s Cross Country Team Emily Stites William & Mary Sr. Wyoming, Ohio Regan Rome William & Mary So. Dallas, Pa. Meghan McGovern William & Mary Sr. North Wales, Pa. Carol Strock James Madison Jr. Mechanicsburg, Pa. Molly Breidenbaugh William & Mary So. Mechanicsville, Va. Kimberly Johansen Elon Jr. Chelmsford, England Kathleen Stewart James Madison Sr. Holland, Pa. Elyse Bierut Elon R-Jr. Rocky River, Ohio Cara Butcher College of Charleston Jr. North Massapequa, N.Y. Tessa Mundell James Madison Jr. Mohnton, Pa. Becky Celorio Hofstra Sr. Scotia, N.Y. Molly Applegate William & Mary R-So. Toms River, N.J. CAA Women’s XC Athlete of the Year: Regan Rome, William & Mary and Emily Stites, William & Mary CAA Women’s XC Rookie of the Year: Coralea Geraniotis, Elon CAA Women’s XC Coach of the Year: Natalie Hall, William & Mary
2015 CAA Men’s Cross Country All-Academic Team
Joshua Tierney
College of Charleston
Jr.
Bluffton, S.C.
Ryan Gwaltney
Elon
Sr.
Anaheim Hills, Calif.
Alan Hetherington
Hofstra
So.
Oshawa, Ontario
William Bunch
UNCW
R-Sr.
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Nephat Maritim
Northeastern
Gr.
Kericho, Kenya
Trevor Sleight
William & Mary
Jr.
Asheville, N.C.
2015 CAA Women’s Cross Country All-Academic Team
Cara Butcher
College of Charleston
Jr.
North Massapequa, N.Y.
Gabrielle Alaimo
Delaware
Jr.
Bridgewater, N.J.
Elyse Bierut
Elon
R-Jr.
Rocky River, Ohio
Becky Celorio
Hofstra
Sr.
Scotia, N.Y.
Kathleen Stewart
James Madison
Sr.
Holland, Pa.
Karli Smiraglia
UNCW
So.
Laurel, Md.
Brooke Wojeski
Northeastern
So.
East Greenbush, N.Y
Megan Knoblock
Towson
Jr.
West Deptford, N.J.
Regan Rome
William & Mary
So.
Dallas, Pa.