National Girls & Women In Sports Day Spotlight: Women's Cross Country

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—During the fall cross country season, Desiree Brooks spent the majority of the season running meets by herself representing Fontbonne. That all changed at the SLIAC Cross Country Championships held in October.

Brooks, a St. Louis, Mo., native, started out the fall season with a personal record time of 18:33.0 in the 4K which was good enough for 15^th at the St. Charles Community College Opener.

Prior to the SLIAC Championship at the Greenville Classic, the senior ran her way to a time of 22:08.5 for a personal record time in the 5K.

"Desiree had a great fall season setting several personal records and setting herself up to run fast during track season," said head coach Phillip Justin Halley. "The growth she's shown as a runner and leader over the past four yeas has helped establish the basis of what the program stands for, family and hard work.

"Her path to this point has not been smooth or straight forward, but she shows up every day and continues to inspire her teammates and coaches to be the best version of themselves."

What Desiree didn't know was her friends and teammates of Patience Vandermierden, Madelyn Huffstetter, Holly Pearce, and Rachel Kelly got together with the idea to run with Desiree for one last time.

"Rachel (Kelly) and I live off campus with Desiree and noticed how hard she was working towards her last country season," said Huffstetter. "It was amazing to see all the dedication she put into this sport. When Patience decided that she was going to join in the last few weeks of the season, I thought it would be cool to try and get a team together to surprise her at conference."

"We are a very close team and no one should ever be left behind or have to do something on their own. I agreed to run and took it upon myself to find five girls to form a team. It wasn't hard to get some of my teammates to step in because everyone loves Desiree. We all knew it was going to be hard, since none of us have ever ran a 6K in our lives, but we used the moto FOR DESIREE. No athlete should ever be alone, you should always have teammates supporting you along the way."

Added Kelly, "Desiree is my roommate and one of my closest friends. I want to support her in everything she does, even if that means running a 6K."

At the SLIAC Championship, the Griffins finished in fourth place making it the first time since 2019 they registered a team scored. It was also the best finish for the women's team since 2012.

Brooks finished in 17^th place with a time of 27:41.42, while Vandermierden followed in 19^th at 29:16.00. Huffstetter crossed the line at 34:26.58, while Kelly ended her day at 34:33.37. Pearce timed out at 44:31.50.

"Seeing my athletes gather together and form a team for Desiree after she ran alone all season, speaks volumes of my teams character," said Halley. They've bought into the family culture and want to do what's best for the team rather than what's best for themselves. These girls have built a bond that has been a joy to watch them grow over the past few years."

About Fontbonne University

Fontbonne University is a private, Catholic liberal arts university located in St. Louis, committed to a transformative education and inspiring students to become global citizens who think critically, act ethically and serve responsibly. The university, founded in 1923, is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. For more information, visit www.fontbonne.edu.

Make sure to follow the cross country team on all its social media accounts: Twitter (@fontbonnexctf), Instagram (@fontbonnexctf) and Facebook (/FontbonneUGriffins).