CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior Elle Marsyla earned the SCIAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year Award in a vote of the league's coaches, the conference office announced today. 

In addition, the Athenas coaching staff of head coach Marina Muncan and assistant coaches Bailey Rockholt, Nicolas Acosta and Alexandra Lambros earned the SCIAC Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding the Athenas to their 15th straight league title. 

Marsyla finished with a time of 21:39.2 to win her first SCIAC individual championship, bouncing back after missing cross country season last season with an injury. As a sophomore, she was an All-American and the runner-up in the conference championship, while leading CMS to a fourth-place finish at nationals. 

The Athenas have now had the last five SCIAC Athletes of the Year, won by four different runners, since the return from the Pandemic. Meredith Bloss won in 2021, Natalie Bitetti won in 2022 and 2023, and Riley Capuano won last year. 

Capuano finished second behind Marsyla at this year's championship to earn first-team All-SCIAC honors as well. Also on the first team were Hope Dragseth (third), Sara Wexler (fifth), Sadie Drucker (sixth) and Brannan Rosenfeld (eighth). Olivia Backholm (13th) and Mia Voce (14th) earned second-team All-SCIAC honors. 

CMS will be back in action next weekend for the NCAA West Regionals at Pomona-Pitzer. Nationals will be held the following weekend in Spartanburg, South Carolina.