Amanda Quinones, the only senior on the women's cross country team, has done many things to reach her goal of qualifying and competing in the NCAA Division III national championships. A third-year transfer from Rider University, Quinones wants to be competitive in the Little East Conference championships in late October; place in the NCAA Division III New England Regional; and qualify for nationals, scheduled for Nov. 19 at Winneconne, WI.
Last year, Quinones won the Fitchburg State University Jim Sheenan Memorial Classic with a time of 21:18. This year, she finished first again with a time of 21:02. "I think she's doing great," says Head Coach Frank Poulin. "She had a great summer, running 70 miles a week, and it is paying off."
Along with her talent comes great responsibility as a leader. "Amanda gets the whole team believing in themselves as much as Amanda believes in herself," said sixth-year assistant coach Brent Terry. "She goes beyond just being talented; she works hard and gets everybody to succeed as well."
(For more news about Eastern athletics, visit www.easternct.edu/athletics.)
