NEW LONDON, Conn. – The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced their Program of the Year final standings on Tuesday, and the Connecticut College women's cross country and track and field program ranked eighth among Division III institutions.

The Camels recorded 57.5 points to finish as the top-ranked program in the NESCAC, as well as the top team from the Mideast region. Conn earned points for placing at all three NCAA Championship events this past athletic year, marking the first time in school history that the program accomplished the feat.

"I'm extremely proud of the effort, commitment and determination that the team put into such a successful year," said head coach Ned Bishop. "Every member of our program deserves credit for their contributions throughout the three seasons!"

In the fall, Conn finished sixth at the NCAA Mideast Regional with a program record 116 points, highlighted by five runners earning All-Region honors by virtue of a top-35 individual finish. The Camels followed that up by qualifying for their second straight NCAA Cross Country Championship, finishing 23rd out 32 teams. Abby Fernald (Avon, Conn.) paced Conn at the regional championship with a 13th-place finish while Grace McDonough (Londonderry, N.H.) led the pack with a 53rd-place finish at nationals.

In the winter, Conn recorded the program's best overall finish (15th) and points tally (12) at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Alexa Estes (Virginia Beach, Va.) and McDonough both qualified for individual events, and the duo also joined Fernald and Lilla Kate Tucker (Marietta, Ga.) in the distance medley relay. The group made history for the Camels, becoming the first relay squad to earn All-America honors after finishing in third place with a time of 11:45.12. McDonough also added a third-place finish in the mile, breaking the school record with a time of 4:49.29.

Rounding out the athletic calendar, Conn finished 17th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with 14 points, the best overall finish and tied for the most points in program history. McDonough continued her stellar year, earning two All-America First Team honors. The junior opened the championships with a third-place finish in the 1500m with a time of 4:25.49, before adding a second-place finish in the 5000m with a time of 16:16.36.

Conn will look to build off the strong 2024-25, as the Camels return most of the team for next season.