With an outstanding team performance highlighted by Sophomore Brittany Carter's third place finish in a time of 20:49.19, the Suffolk County Community College Clippers Women's Cross Country team earned their first ever national title in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III Championships hosted by Suffolk at Sunken Meadow Park on Saturday November 10.

The Clippers finished with 52 points by taking 3rd, 9th, 12th, 13th and 15th places in the race to outdistance second place finisher Gloucester CC with 85 points. Anna Bogdanets of Erie CC finished in first with a time of 20:22.24.

Racing on a cold, windy but relatively clear day, Carter was joined by teammate Brittany Ryzuk who came in 10th and Christine Tylee who finished in 13th place. All three earned All American honors: Carter was named first team All American, Ryzuk second team and Tylee Honorable Mention. Also racing for the Clippers were Katherine Sherback (17th place), Nicole Lo Meli (20th place), Kaitlyn Wagner (40th) and Desiree Bollerup (48th). 83 women participated in the race.

Long time Suffolk Clipper Head Coach Bob Mott was named "Coach of The Champions" for Women's Cross Country and was also named Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year by the NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association. This was the first national championship in any sport hosted by SCCC.

While this is the first Cross Country team championship for Suffolk although they have had success in recent years with Danielle Conner (2004) and Jacquilin Nunez (2000, 2001) winning individual championships. The national title makes in a clean sweep for the women who also won the Region 15 and Northeast District titles this year.

For the Suffolk Clippers Men's team, Aaron Allen finished 19th and Eric St. Germain 21st out of 129 runners to help lead the Clippers to a fifth place team finish, one of their strongest ever.

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