TROY, N.Y. – The Liberty League has announced its weekly awards in women’s cross country and football and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athletes
Marie Ferro and
Matt Wood were named the Rookies of the Week in their respective sport.
Ferro, a freshman out of Endwell, N.Y., led the way for RPI, finishing 18th overall and first among Liberty League freshmen in the 6k race at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Meet. She posted a time of 22:48.9 in the event, which featured 239 participants. As a team, the Engineers were fifth of 33 teams - their best-ever finish at Regionals - securing them an at-large berth to the program's first-ever NCAA Championship appearance.
This is the second Rookie of the Week for Ferro, who has also been named Performer of the Week twice this season. A competitor in all eight meets this season; she has finished in the top-10 through six of those, including four in the top-five. Among her top performances was at the Liberty League Championships, where she finished sixth overall and garnered All-Liberty League First Team recognition.
Ferro, a graduate of Maine-Endwell High School, started out her freshman campaign with a third-place finish at the season opening Engineers Cup. She also posted fifth at the competitive Oneonta Airfield Invitational and seventh at the Connecticut College Invite and the New York State Championships. She has claimed victory once this season, winning the 5k Plansky Invitational on October 17.
A running back from Skaneateles, N.Y., Wood made his first collegiate start in a 13-10 win over Merchant Marine, rushing for a career-high 102 yards on 15 carries for an average of 6.8 yards per attempt. He had a long of 37 yards to lead RPI's rushing attack.
The former Skaneateles High School standout played in eight games this season, rushing for 123 yards on 18 carries. He averaged 6.8 yards per attempt and 15.4 yards per game, while also returning five kickoffs for 115 yards, including a long of 46 yards.
The football team finished its season at 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the Liberty League.
The women’s cross country team is back in action on Saturday competing at the NCAA Championship. The Engineers head to Highland Hills, Ohio, to compete in the 6k event, hosted by Baldwin-Wallace College at the Highland Hills Golf Course at 11am.