MADISON, Wis. –  Both finished in the top 30, Laura Pellicoro and Matt Strangio earned All-American honors at NCAA Cross Country Championships. This marked the first time since 2018 that Portland had both men's and women's runners achieve All-American honors.

Pellicoro began the race in 30th place, falling to the top 75 by the 2K split. At the halfway mark, she steadily improved with every 1,000-meter split, passing 24 runners to reach 49th place by the 5K point. Positioned for a top-40 finish, she pushed forward in the final stretch, overtaking 21 competitors to secure a 28th-place finish with a time of 19:57.9. This performance earned Pellicoro her second All-American honor of her collegiate career, making her the second Pilot in history to achieve this distinction.

"Laura was amazing again today," head coach Ian Solof said. "She has impressed me so much these last three races with her toughness, determination, and attitude. To miss more than half the season and still become All-American is incredible. It really shows the type of athlete and person she is. I'm really proud of everything she has accomplished for herself and our program." 
 
In the men's division, Strangio began the race in 65th place. He made a strong effort early, climbing to as high as 15th at one point. Through the midway section, he held a steady position in the top 50 and delivered a strong performance in the final 3K. By the 9K mark, he placed himself in 40th place. Strangio overtook 18 runners in the final stretch to secure an impressive 22nd-place finish in 29:16.5, earning All-American recognition. Strangio's 22nd-place finish marked the highes finish by a Pilot at Nationals since 2018. Strangio's 22nd-place finish marked the highest finish by a Pilot at Nationals since 2018.

"That was an amazing effort!" head coach Rob Conner said. "Matt's goal was to be an All- American (top 40) and with a mile to go, he was in 41st.  He passed 18 men over the final 1K split and dropped a 2:44 final 1000-meter.  One of the great races in Pilot history.  I'm really proud of his effort!"

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Women's 6K
28. Laura Pellicoro, 19:57.9
Men's 10K
22. Matt Strangio, 29:16.5