In the most important meet of first-year Katherine Treanor’s storybook season, she proved that the success she has enjoyed all season was no fluke. Treanor managed to clinch 27th overall at an NCAA national championship meet that included 280 of the nation’s fastest collegiate runners.

Treanor was the only Amherst harrier to make the journey to Louisville after her third place finish at the previous weekend’s New England regional championship. That third place finish had guaranteed her a spot in the national championship meet as one of only seven individual qualifiers from the New England region.

With a time of 21:13.5 and an average mile time of 5:41.4, she followed Leah Wessler of Colorado College by less than one half of a second. Sara Rosenzweig of SUNY Geneseo trailed Treanor with a close time of 21:14.1.

As a testament to her talent and determination, Treanor was just the second first-year in the meet to cross the finish line, behind Megan McCandless of MIT who ran for 17th place. In addition, Treanor was one of only three first years to place in the top 50 and one of just seven in the top hundred, cementing her status as one of the brightest young stars in women’s Division III cross country.

With a new personal best in the 6k, the future looks bright for Treanor and the purple and white to reload for next year.