WILLIAMSTOWN, MA -- Williams College sophomore cross country and track & field standout Chiara Del Piccolo (Basalt, CO) appears in the January 23rd edition of Sports Illustrated magazine's "Faces in the Crowd."
Del Piccolo is the 33rd Eph athlete so honored since August of 1989.
Last fall Del Piccolo won her last four cross country races, capturing the Little Three, NESCAC, NCAA New England Qualifier, and the NCAA Division III Championship titles. To win the NCAA title, Del Piccolo ran the 6K course at Lake Breeze GC in Winneconne, WI in 20:52 on November 19, finishing 5 seconds ahead of runner-up Christy Cazzola of host UW-Oshkosh (20:57).
As a freshman in 2010 Del Piccolo finished 55th at the NCAA Championship Meet.
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| Chiara Del Piccolo '14 |
This fall Del Piccolo was named the NESCAC'S Most Outstanding Performer, the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) New England Region Runner of the Year, the USTFCCCA National Runner of the Year, earned All-America honors, earned Academic All-NESCAC honors and is the NCAA Division III representative for cross country in the prestigious Honda Awards that honors the top female athlete in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III.
Del Piccolo is the second Eph woman to win the NCAA Division III women's cross country title, joining Jess Caley '98 who won in 1995.
Del Piccolo who also runs on the Eph indoor and outdoor track & field teams opened the 2011-12 indoor season with a 16:57.98 in the 5K at Smith College (December 3, 2011), recording the fastest Division III time through January 11 according to the USTFCCCA.
In her indoor season debut at Smith College, Del Piccolo ran unopposed, which did not offer her the benefit of a pacer and a competitor and yet she finished with the second fastest indoor 5K by an Eph. Del Piccolo's time (16:57.98) earned her an automatic qualifying time for NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in March.
