The 2012 Southern Vermont College women's cross country team saw a great deal of success from the individuals and whole squad alike, turning heads which took notice of SVC with every step and each competition.

                From the start, two freshmen Mountaineers, along with senior captain Loni Masiero (Wallkill, N.Y.), led the way along tough courses. 

Alice Lala (Biddesford, Maine) and Haley Omasta (Danbury, Conn.), both first-year runners for Stuber, were consistently two of the top runners for SVC.  Omasta was even somehow able to run a 24:50 in the first three meets of the season.

                The team placed 3^rd in a tough Middlebury Invitational, then followed that with another 3^rd-place finish in their hosted Mountaineer Invitational.  Southern Vermont came in 8^th at the Vermont State Championships held at Lyndon State College, preparing them for a competitive finish to the season.  "We had some hard times early on with injuries, illnesses, the normal things associated with having such a young team," noted head coach Maria Stuber.  "I was most proud of the way they supported each other this year."

                The Mountaineers' dedication and hard work came to fruition late in the season, starting with the Western New England Golden Bear Invitational in Springfield, Mass.  Five of the seven participants for SVC raced to personal-best times, with Lala leading the way en route to a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Rookie of the Week honor; she finished 64^th with a 21:36, her best time up to that point of the season.  That time put Lala at 4^th on the all-time SVC 5K time list.  Omasta ran her best time of the season, 21:42, placing her in a tie for 5^th on the all-time board.

                With a weekend of rest after the Golden Bear, Southern Vermont was recharged for the NECC Championship in late October.  In a close race, the women finished 4^th, only 15 seconds from taking the 2^nd-place plaque.  The 4^th-place finish ties the program's best in an NECC Championship since the conference was formed in 2008.  The Mountaineers finished 73 points better than they did in the 2011 Championship with this year's course being a more difficult run.  "We're happy with 4^th," said Coach Stuber, "but we are hungry for a higher placement next year."

                Two Mountaineers garnered all-conference accolades with their NECC title meet performances.  Lala made her way on to the All-NECC First Team with her 5^th-place finish; she came in at 21:29, a personal best that pushed her up to 3^rd on the SVC all-time top ten list.  Omasta took All-NECC Second Team honors by coming in 7^th with a time of 21:56.

Stuber brought three harriers to the NCAA New England Regional Championship two weeks following the conference meet, and all three saw great success on the 6K course at Westfield State University.  Lala ran the 2^nd-fastest time in school history with a 25:17, and Omasta was not far behind at 26:51. 

Masiero finished her collegiate career by running an identical time to her 2011 NCAA Regional result, coming in at 29:18 on an arguably more difficult course.  Stuber commented about her lone senior, "Loni has been such a huge part of holding this team together over the past four years.  I am grateful for the two years I was able to coach her and I really wish I had two more.  She will be missed."

                "This team learned a ton about racing and surprised me with the amount of sheer guts they had at the end of the year," commented the second-year head coach.  "There is so much talent on this team. We have only scratched the surface of what they can do."