AACC Women’s Cross Country finished seventh at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national championship last month.

Head coach Jim Griffiths said he is proud of the runners. “We went into the meet seventh in the country and we finished seventh place,” he noted.

Co-captain and sophomore Sidney Hinkle said the team had to place seventh or better in order to keep its national standing.

“A lot of our girls [ran their] … personal record, their personal best,” co-captain and sophomore Romina Montes Rodriguez said.

“Overall we were pleased with how we raced and that’s all you can do,” Hinkle said.

According to Griffiths, the terrain at the meet in Fingerlakes, New York, was wet and soggy, unlike what AACC runners usually train on.

“It was a difficult course … but overall they ran really, really well at the meet,” Griffiths said.

Rodriguez said the team prepared for nationals by running up hills.

“We knew there was going to be this really big hill, and so throughout the season we … really had to work on hills … so that no other team would be as ready for the hill as we were,” she said.

Last year AACC Cross Country was seventh in the nation before the national championship, where they finished fourth.

“Everyone was happy we placed in the top 10 but kind of disappointed because last year we placed fourth,” Hinkle said.