Troy, NY - The Liberty League announced its major award winners for Women's Cross Country on Wednesday morning as Vassar College sophomore
Haley Schoenegge was named the league's Runner of the Year. Schoenegge earns the major award following a record-breaking season and was the league's Co-Rookie of the Year last season.
Schoenegge raced to a national-runner up finish at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships with a time of 20:58.2 for the best finish in Vassar history and helped lead the team to a 20th place team finish, which also was a new program-best finish. The sophomore has put together a record-breaking season as she also earned the Liberty League individual title with a course record and Liberty League Championship record time at the Ronald C. Hoffman course at St. Lawrence.
Schoenegge helped lead the Brewers to their second straight Liberty League Championship crown and followed it up with a second place finish at the NCAA Mideast Region Championship, which saw Vassar score a fourth place team finish (best finish at the meet in school history) and earn a bid to the NCAA Championship meet.
Schoenegge has scored a top-five overall finish at every race this season and broke her own school 6K record at the Paul Short Invitational with a time of 20:52.3. The sophomore has three total victories this season and was named the league's Performer of the Week five times in 2024.
Schoenegge put together an impressive rookie campaign for the Brewers on the cross country course as she helped lead Vassar to four first place team finishes in 2023. The first year was named the Liberty League Rookie of the Week four times and finished in a season-best third place three times this season, including in the Liberty League Championship, which earned her All-Liberty League First Team honors. Schoenegge was the top finisher at the NCAA Mideast Regionals, crossing the finish line in 26th place and earning All-Mideast Region honors in her first year campaign. Schoenegge went on to place 100th at the NCAA Division III Championship, helping Vassar to a program-best 23rd place finish and posting the highest finish individually since 2019.
On the track in 2023-24, Schoenegge garnered an individual National Championship in the 1500 meters and an additional All-American citation in the 5000 meters at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Schoenegge concluded the outdoor season with the Liberty League Track Athlete of the Year honor in addition to being named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Mideast Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
Schoenegge put together a historic weekend for Vassar at the Outdoor National Championship Meet, winning the 1500 meters and adding a fourth-place finish in the 5000 meters for the Brewers. Schoenegge led wire-to-wire in the 1500 race, overwhelming the field by nearly 10 seconds. Schonegge posted a personal best time of 4:19.46 in the race and became Vassar's first national champion since Heather Ingraham in 2015.
In addition to a personal best time, Schoenegge shattered the facility record by five seconds, a mark that was set in 2011. Vassar's standout First Year ran a blistering 66-second final lap on her way to running the ninth fastest time in Division III history.
Following an extended weather delay, Schoenegge picked up her second First Team All-American honor of the day after running to a fourth-place finish in the 5000 meters for the Brewers. Schoenegge turned in a time of 16:55.41 which included a stellar 1:12.81 final 400-meters that saw her improve her standing from seventh to fourth-place and clinch First Team All-American status.
Schoenegge concluded her first season as a Brewer being named a two-time NCAA Outdoor Track First Team All-American, the Liberty League and Mideast Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, NCAA Indoor Track 1 Mile Run Second Team All-American, Liberty League Indoor Track and Field Co-Rookie of the Year, Liberty League Cross Country Co-Rookie of the Year, Liberty League Outdoor Track and Field 1500 meters and 5000 meters Champion, Liberty League Indoor Track and Field 3000 meters Champion, Liberty League Indoor Track and Field 1 Mile Run runner-up, double-digit Liberty League Performer/Rookie of the Week, School Record holder in the Outdoor 1500 and 5000 Meters, School Record holder in the 1 Mile Run and 3000 meters, Liberty League Cross Country All-First Team, USTFCCA Cross Country and Track and Field All-Region and has three of the top-20 fastest Cross Country times in school history.
