WATERVILLE, Maine – The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) 2025 women’s cross country postseason awards have been released, recognizing exemplary achievements in categories including Runner of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Senior Scholar Athlete, and Coaching Staff of the Year.

Each season, the NAC selects a Sportsmanship Team, which includes one athlete from each institution as chosen by their head coach. This award honors athletes who exhibit outstanding sportsmanship, contributing to the overall culture of cross country through integrity and behavior that exceeds the expectations of the sport.

UMaine-Farmington claimed three of the four postseason major awards as the Beaver’s Lina Martinez Nocito was tabbed as the 2025 Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year and First-Year Kaylee Johnston earned Rookie of the Year honors; UMaine-Farmington was selected as this year’s Coaching staff of the Year. Thomas College’s Emma Landry was also recognized as the Women’s Cross Country senior Scholar Athlete.

Junior Martinez Nocito (Mt. Vernon, Maine) helped lead Farmington to the programs first NAC women’s cross country title since 2018 and eighth overall. She was crowned the NAC individual champion with a time of 23:28.82, 52 seconds faster than any other runner at the NAC Championship. She beat her previous time at last year’s championship where she placed sixth (23:42.6) in her very first NAC championship. At the Maine State Championship race, Martinez Nocito placed 22^nd out of 119 runners and broke the UMaine-Farmington 6000-meter program record with a time of 23:13.17. A record that has stood since 2017. She was also named NAC Runner of the Week three times on the season.

Johnston (Bangor, Maine) capped off her first season with the Beavers as the NAC Rookie of the Year. She was the first rookie to cross the finish line at the NAC Championship and placed 6^th overall (26:27.78) and earned First-Team All-Conference honors. She ran a 6K time of 25:55 at the Maine State Championship placing 67^th out of a field of 119 runners. She was also recognized as the NAC Rookie of the Week once this season.

The Terriers’ Landry (Fort Kent, Maine) has been selected, by vote of the conference head coaches and NAC institutions’ Faculty Athletic Representatives, as the 2025 NAC Women’s Cross Country Senior Scholar Athlete. A criminal justice and forensic science minor, she has completed her undergraduate studies in three years as she is in Thomas’ 3+1 program. She holds a cumulative GPA of 3.98 and has been recognized on the Thomas President’s List (fall 2022, spring 2023) and Dean’s List (fall 2023, fall 2024). Additionally, she is a three-time NAC All-Academic Team honoree (2022, 2023, 2024) and was named to the NAC Sportsmanship Team during the 2024 season.

UMaine-Farmington’s coaching staff received the 2025 Women’s Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year award. Head Coach Robbie Hollis and Assistant Coach Sean Cabaniss led the Beavers to their first NAC Championship since 2018, with four UMF runners earning All-Conference honors by finishing in the top 8.

2025 NAC Women's Cross Country Major Awards:
Runner of the Year: Lina Martinez Nocito, UMaine-Farmington
Rookie of the Year: Kaylee Johnston, UMaine-Farmington
Senior Scholar Athlete: Emma Landry, Thomas College
Coaching Staff of the Year: UMaine-Farmington  

First Team All-Conference: (Winner plus next 7 finishers)
Lina Martinez Nocito – UMaine-Farmington
Grace Bedore – Husson university
Maria Protheroe – Thomas College
Eve Poteet – UMaine-Farmington
Rebecca Hall – Lesley University
Kaylee Johnson - UMaine-Farmington
Dellaney Flower - UMaine-Farmington
Lucinda Carroll – Husson University
 
Sportsmanship Team     
Ella Behling, Lesley University
Milaya Buchanan, UMaine-Presque Isle
Christina DeGiso, Thomas College
Nina Huber, Husson University
Alayna Marchessault, UMaine-Farmington
Verna Stoddard, VTSU Lyndon
Lillian Verrill, Maine Maritime Academy