Westfield, MA --- Sophomore Erin Beccia (Rutland, MA) has been selected MASCAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week for her solid performance at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships held at Mount Greylock.

Beccia had the best finish for a female student-athlete from the MASCAC as she placed 101st overall in a field of 387 runners with a 6k time of 24:15. With the tenth-best split from a New England Alliance institution, she helped Worcester State place 35th in a deep field that included 57 squads from around the region.

Entering her first season as a Lancer, Beccia has been an impact transfer with several outstanding performances over the last two months for the Blue and Gold.

In races that have featured over 200 competitors, Beccia has been among the top 50 twice, coming in 43rd out of 272 at UMass Dartmouth and 39th out of 424 in the Western New England Invitational.

Beccia was also 13th at the University of New England meet among 140 entrants and she was the runner up by 16 seconds at the Worcester City Championships, helping pace the Lancers to a second place finish at Moore State Park.

Two weeks ago on the 5k Mount Greylock Course, Beccia rose to the challenge and crossed the finish line in second overall at the MASCAC Championships en-route to All-Conference accolades with a time that was 26 ticks off the pace.

Under the direction of third-year head coach Gary Jusseaume, the Blue and Gold had a fourth-place finish which marks the eighth consecutive season the Lancers have been among the top four at the annual league championship.