Mooney Receives Academic All-Area Recognition From Philadelphia Inquirer

MEDIA, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine sophomore Catharine Mooney (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) was one of eight area women's cross country runners to be named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team on Tuesday.

Mooney is the second student-athlete from Brandywine to receive the award this fall, joining senior Brianna Banks, who was named to the academic all-area women's soccer team on Monday. To be eligible for Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area honors, a student-athlete must be in at least his or her second year at the institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better, while also succeeding athletically. Student-athletes are selected through voting by the more than 30 institutions in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

This fall, Mooney made history by becoming Brandywine's first-ever PSUAC cross country champion when she won the women's 6K title at Norlo Park. During the race, Mooney set the program's 6K record, which she then broke two weeks later at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship, posting a time of 24:28.

In addition to being the PSUAC individual medalist, Mooney became the first all-American in the history of the women's cross country program, earning second team recognition, after finishing 14th at the national championship race in Virginia Beach.

A three-time PSUAC Runner of the Week this fall, Mooney also secured the team's 5K record, posting a time of 21:38 at Lebanon Valley's Dutchmen Invitational in September. She claimed individual medalist honors at Brandywine's home invitational, while placing third at Delaware Valley and eighth at Goldey Beacom.

Mooney, a two-time First Team All-PSUAC runner, was named to the USCAA National Academic Team in November and is a two-time John Fritz Sportsmanship Award recipient who owns a 3.81 grade-point average as a kinesiology major.