NASHUA, NH – Saint Joseph's finished as the runner-up with 55 points in the 2012 GNAC Women's Cross Country Championship on Saturday afternoon. With a 19:19 effort, sophomore Amber Dostie (Standish, Maine) claimed top-individual honors for the second-consecutive season.

Dostie, who bested runner-up finisher Laura Furfaro (North Warren, N.J.) by 45 seconds, is the first athlete – and second overall - to claim back to back GNAC Championship crowns since Emerson's Katrina Kozarek won the event in 2001 and 2002. Dostie's time ranks as the fourth-fastest ever run in the GNAC Championship meet and the victory, her fourth this season and seventh of her young career, gives her more top finishes than any individual in program history.

Other SJC runners shared the spotlight on this day, as first-years Lauren Rabideau (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) and Heather Eaton (Lincolnville, Maine) finished third and fourth, respectively, with times just four-tenths of a second apart. Rabideau, who toured the 5K course in 20:17.2, earned GNAC Rookie of the Year accolades, making her the third Saint Joseph's runner in as many years to collect the newcomer award, joining 2010 honoree Danielle Cusack (Portland, Maine) and Dostie, the 2011 recipient.  No other program in GNAC women's cross country history can boast three-consecutive GNAC Rookie of the Year winners.

The third major award handed out during the post-race ceremony – the Coach of the Year honor – was bestowed upon second-year Head Coach Ray Putnam. Through tireless recruiting efforts and a proven coaching philosophy that includes strenuous workouts and a family atmosphere, Coach Putnam pushed his women's team up four slots – and 89 points - in the GNAC Championship in just one year.

Although the Monks placed three in the top five and four in the top 10 – senior Ashley Condon (Sumner, Maine) finished 10th (21:05) – the Royal Blue was unable to hold off Johnson & Wales University, which managed to win the GNAC Championship for the third-consecutive season with 47 points. Simmons College (85), Emmanuel College (88) and Norwich University (131) followed Saint Joseph's and rounded out the top five competing institutions.

Emerson College (132), Rivier University (196), Lasell College (226), Suffolk University (288), Albertus Magnus College (305), University of Saint Joseph (320) and Mount Ida College (333) also ran in the annual event. Anna Maria College competed but did not feature enough runners to score.

For Saint Joseph's, Grace Dancoes (Falmouth, Maine) placed 38th (22:53), Riley Jones (Winslow, Maine) finished 41st (23:03), Kirsten McCombs (Lewiston, Maine) was 45th (23:15), and Audrey Curry (Perry, Maine) raced to a 56th-place (23:43) finish.

Melissa Deplanche (Dover, N.H.) (24:14, 68) and Lauren Smith (North Kingstown, R.I.) (24:44, 79) also ran for the Monks.

2012 GNAC Women's Cross Country All-Conference Team