STONY BROOK, N.Y — Before arriving at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, Stony Brook women's cross country coach Andy Ronan and his team set multiple goals.

The Seawolves hoped to finish in the top 15 in the nation.

Twins Lucy and Holly Van Dalen aimed to each place in the top 10 individually.

And Lucy eyed the individual NCAA title.

"Deservingly so, based on her performances that season," Ronan said.

Stony Brook largely accomplished those objectives that day.

And today the Seawolves are celebrating the 10th anniversary of those feats.
 
On Nov. 21, 2010, Lucy and Holly Van Dalen earned All-America honors after finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 6,000-meter event hosted by Indiana State University. And the Seawolves placed seventh overall.

Other team members included Hayley Green, Annie Keown, Olivia Burne, Carolina Cortes, Kristal Conklin and Page Price.

"One of the unique things about cross country is that the final national poll is decided by performance — not votes — so this team was truly the seventh-best team out of the 300-plus teams in the nation in 2010," Ronan said. "They were beaten by six better teams, but finished ahead of the other 24 teams that lined up that day at the national championships."

The banner season also was highlighted by the Van Dalens finishing first and second in the Northeast Regional meet and the team earning its second-ever automatic qualifying spot in the nationals.

The 2010 season marked the fourth straight America East title for the Seawolves.

Lucy Van Dalen was the America East individual champion. She went on to represent her native New Zealand in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, in the women's 1,500 meters.
 
"The performance by the women in 2010 was the result of a lot of commitment and hard work that started with Lucy and Holly three years earlier," Ronan said. "They played a big role in the women qualifying for the national championship for the first time in '07, along with Dana Paton, Laura Huet, Liz Carlson, Kerry Salzano, Jacquie Kehoe and Jessica Hampson. Once they experienced the atmosphere of the event, they were determined to return.

"With the addition of Hayley, Olivia, Annie, Carolina, Kristal and Page, the team qualified in'08 and 2010.  Lucy and Holly were in contention for top-five performances right up to the last straight away. Both earned All-America honors — fantastic performances by both ladies. Behind them the rest of the team fought hard for every spot. Once the team placings were posted, they realized they had achieved a remarkable performance and celebrated the moment with a lot of cheers and hugs."