RICHMOND, VA – Emily Simko from the Monmouth University Cross Country Team was named the 2023 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Women's Cross Country Rookie of the Year, the conference announced Thursday morning.
  
Simko is the first CAA Cross Country major award winner in Monmouth program history. She earned All-CAA honors after a 13th-place (21:44.5) finish at the CAA Championship. The first-year runner competed in five meets for Monmouth this season and was the top finisher for the Hawks on each occasion. The Horsham, Pa. native ran to a personal-best 20:59.2 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, finishing 40th overall and fifth among freshmen. In addition, she earned a top-25 finish at the ECAC/IC4A Championships, placing 22nd (21:30.4) and second among first-year competitors.  
 
In addition, Declan McDonnell was named to the Men's All-CAA Team after a ninth-place finish at the CAA Championships with a time of 25:27.3.

McDonnell, Simko, and the Hawks continue their indoor track and field season this weekend. Monmouth will take a squad to the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex for the Wagner Seahawk Shootout on Friday, December 8, and will also send members to the Lehigh Combined Event for a two-day meet hosted by Lehigh University.