WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Williams College women's cross country program collected two major NESCAC honors, announced by the NESCAC office on Nov. 3, as the Eph coaching staff was named the Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year and first-year Sophie Capozzi was selected as the conference's Most Outstanding Rookie.
Capozzi made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season, earning Most Outstanding Rookie honors after a standout campaign. At the NESCAC Championship, Capozzi was the top first-year finisher in the field, placing 11th overall in the 6K with a time of 21:41.5. Her performance helped lead the Ephs to their seventh consecutive conference title while earning her All-NESCAC Second Team recognition.
Throughout the season, Capozzi consistently competed among the top runners in the region. She opened her collegiate career with a runner-up finish at the Aldrich Invitational before earning her first collegiate victory at the Purple Valley Classic. She continued her impressive debut season at the Running of the Cows Pre-National Invitational, where she placed second in a field of 326 runners with a personal-best time of 21:17.7.
Head coach Dusty Lopez and assistant coach Stephanie Mauer, earned Coaching Staff of the Year recognition for the fourth consecutive season after leading the Ephs to their seventh straight NESCAC Championship and 23rd conference title overall.
Williams captured the 2026 NESCAC Championship on October 31 at Middlebury College, edging host Middlebury by four points. The Ephs placed five runners in the top 11, with all five scoring runners finishing within 22 seconds of one another.
The two NESCAC honors add to another successful championship season for the Ephs, who will turn their attention to the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championships on November 14, hosted by Trinity College.
