The 2025 Liberty League Women’s Cross Country major award winners were selected in a vote by the conference’s head coaches following the NCAA Division III Championship.
RUNNER OF THE YEAR: Julianne Bleskoski, Junior, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
RPI’s Julianne Bleskoski was named the Liberty League Runner of the Year after a standout junior campaign in 2025. She did not finish lower than second in any of her six 6-kilometer races this season and opened the season with four straight 6K victories—including her first Liberty League individual title with a time of 21:17.3. She won the conference championship with a margin of victory of 30.1 seconds after finishing runner-up in 2024. Bleskoski posted a personal-best 6K time of 20:20.8 at the Paul Short Run (White Race) in October, where she topped the field of 404 runners. The six-time Liberty League Performer of the Week closed out the year with runner-up finishes at both the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional in Canton, N.Y. (185 runners) and the NCAA Division III Championship in Spartanburg, S.C. (290 runners), clocking times of 21:28.8 and 21:05.1, respectively. Her second-place finish at the NCAA DIII Championship stands as the best individual result at nationals in RPI Women’s Cross Country history.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Lola Gitlin, Junior, Ithaca College
Ithaca College junior Lola Gitlin was selected as the Liberty League Rookie of the Year after an impressive debut season running collegiately for the Bombers. Gitlin tallied three top-15 finishes, including a 10th-place showing in the team’s season opener at Brockport, the Tom Balon Classic (5K, 19:37.4). She recorded her season-best 6-kilometer time of 22:17.4 at the Connecticut College Invitational (Blue Race), placing 65th in a field of 261 runners. In her first conference championship appearance, Gitlin earned All-Liberty League First Team honors with a team-best seventh-place finish at 22:51.4. A four-time Liberty League Rookie of the Week selection, Gitlin was among the top 15 of 162 competitors at the NCAA Division III Niagara Regional. She placed 15th overall with a time of 22:27.7.
COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR: Vassar College – James McCowan, Head Coach
The Vassar College coaching staff, led by 20th year head coach James McCowan, was recognized with Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year honors. McCowan directed the Brewers to their third consecutive Liberty League title with seven runners earning all-conference accolades, including a trio of first team honorees. After cruising to their third Liberty League title, winning by 33 points, the Brewers placed fifth at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional with three All-Region runners, where they earned a third straight at-large selection to the NCAA Division III Championship. At the national meet, Vassar finished among the top 10 teams with a program-best 10th-place showing out of 32 scoring teams improving upon its 20th-place showing in 2024 and 23rd-place showing in 2023. Junior Haley Schonegge led the way for the Brewers, placing 15th among 290 finishers with a time of 21:27.6, and earning All-America honors for a second straight year.
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE FIRST TEAM
- Jules Bleskoski, RPI — 21:17.3
- Haley Schoenegge, Vassar — 21:47.4
- Kathryn Arbegast, RIT — 22:20.0
- Anika Mueller-Hickler, Vassar — 22:44.6
- Adelaide Nyhan, Vassar — 22:46.5
- Avery Blanchard, St. Lawrence — 22:51.1
- Lola Gitlin, Ithaca — 22:51.4
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE SECOND TEAM
- Therese Georgia, RIT — 22:55.7
- Charlotte Blake, St. Lawrence — 23:04.1
- Quinn Sirgany, St. Lawrence — 23:04.8
- Claudia Wolf, RPI — 23:06.1
- Acadia Helfand, Vassar — 23:07.3
- Cayley Swaim, Vassar — 23:13.1
- Madison Beaudoin, St. Lawrence — 23:20.2
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE HONORABLE MENTION
- Jessica Goode, Ithaca — 23:21.4
- Chloe Bibula, Vassar — 23:23.5
- Norah Reade, Vassar — 23:24.2
- Hannah Pawlowski, Ithaca — 23:27.8
- Logan Brasacchio, Ithaca — 23:35.0
- Ava Handel, RPI — 23:37.2
- Gianna Coryea, RPI — 23:44.1
* All-Conference Teams are based on place finish at the 2025 Liberty League Championship