Women's Cross Country 10/30/2026 7:17:00 PM

Women's Cross Country Finishes Second in Close Race at BIG EAST Championships

All five scorers finished in the top 16 overall and earned All-BIG EAST honors

Villanova Women's Cross Country

BIG EAST Championships

October 30, 2026
Pole Green Park
Mechanicsville, Va.

Second Place - 44 PointsVillanova earned its second straight BIG EAST runner-up finish and the program's 25th conference team trophy.

Championship Highlights

Two in the Top Four

Tilly O'Connor placed third in 19:37.0 and Rosie Shay was fourth in 19:38.7.

5 in the Top 16

All five Villanova scorers finished among the top 16 at the conference championships for the first time since 2018.

25 Team Trophies

The Wildcats have finished first or second at the BIG EAST meet 25 times, including runner-up finishes in consecutive seasons.

Five All-BIG EAST Performers

First-team honorees Tilly O'Connor, Rosie Shay and Maeve Smith were joined by second-team selections Zoe Mosher and Hannah Jicha. It marks the second straight year and the 14th time overall that Villanova has had at least five all-conference performers.

School History: O'Connor's 19:37.0 ranks fourth and Shay's 19:38.7 ranks sixth on Villanova's all-time list for a 6K cross country course. The pair finished fewer than two seconds apart for the second straight race and the third time in their careers.

Complete Meet Results

Villanova Results

Runner	Place	Time
Tilly O'Connor	3rd of 101	19:37.0
Rosie Shay	4th	19:38.7
Maeve Smith	10th	20:27.6
Zoe Mosher	11th	20:29.3
Hannah Jicha	16th	20:47.6
Bella Walsh	23rd	21:01.7
Therese Trainer	30th	21:11.4
Cecilia Montagnese	33rd	21:13.5
Caelen O'Leary	49th	21:58.0
Sophia McInnes	62nd	22:29.3

Team Scores

Place	Team	Points
1st of 11	Providence	36
2nd	Villanova	44
3rd	Connecticut	59
4th	Georgetown	93
5th	DePaul	155
6th	Butler	169
7th	Xavier	230
8th	Marquette	268
9th	Creighton	272
10th	Seton Hall	291
11th	St. John's	324

Top 10 Individuals

Place	Runner	Team	Time
1st	Barrett Justema	Georgetown	19:31.5
2nd	Gabby Schmidt	Providence	19:36.2
3rd	Tilly O'Connor	Villanova	19:37.0
4th	Rosie Shay	Villanova	19:38.7
5th	Anna Gardiner	Providence	19:55.1
6th	Sascha Letica	Connecticut	19:59.0
7th	Megan Harris	Providence	20:15.3
8th	Brooke Strauss	Connecticut	20:17.4
9th	Emily Bush	Providence	20:18.9
10th	Maeve Smith	Villanova	20:27.6

Up Next: Villanova will compete at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional at Lehigh on Friday, November 13.

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Players Mentioned

Sophia McInnes: Sophomore

Cecilia Montagnese: Sophomore

Zoe Mosher: Sophomore

Tilly O'Connor: Senior

Caelen O'Leary: Senior

Rosie Shay: Junior

Maeve Smith: Sophomore

Therese Trainer: Senior

Bella Walsh: Junior

Hannah Jicha: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Sophia McInnes
: Sophomore

Cecilia Montagnese
: Sophomore

Zoe Mosher
: Sophomore

Tilly O'Connor
: Senior

Caelen O'Leary
: Senior

Rosie Shay
: Junior

Maeve Smith
: Sophomore

Therese Trainer
: Senior

Bella Walsh
: Junior

Hannah Jicha
: Freshman