The wins have piled up for Villanova in women’s cross-country. But the Wildcats are focused on one goal.
The Wildcats are ranked 14th in the country, but two big meets stand between them and their goal of reaching the NCAA championships as a team.
When Tilly O’Connor heads to cross-country practice every day, she passes by a gallery of Penn Relays wheels on a wall at Villanova’s Jake Nevin Field House. She enters the cross-country office, decorated with photos of champion Wildcats celebrating national titles.
Seeing the program’s storied past reminds O’Connor of the Villanova cross-country team’s quest: to bring the entire team to the national stage for the first time since 2021.
“The tradition of Villanova running is something that motivates us a lot,” O’Connor said. “If you walk downstairs, there’s Penn wheels all along the wall. It’s something that’s always in the back of our heads, and we’re so proud to represent Villanova and live up to that standard.”
» READ MORE: Big 5 names to know ahead of the 2025-26 women's basketball season
Coach Gina Procaccio thinks 14th-ranked Villanova has a solid chance to make the NCAA championships in November and has one of its most talented groups in recent years. In her 25 years as coach, Procaccio has brought numerous teams to the NCAA championships and took home national titles in 2009 and 2010.
“We have a group of highly motivated kids who want to be part of this big tradition we have here,” Procaccio said. “It’s the culture. They’ve really come together wanting to be good again and believing that they can.”
The next step for the Wildcats is a crucial trip to Nebraska for the Big East championships on Friday.
Running as a pack
Villanova has earned first place as a team in four of its five meets this season. In the only meet the Wildcats didn’t win, they finished second of 38 teams at the Pre-National Invitational on Oct. 18 in Missouri. The only school that outpaced them was top-ranked Brigham Young.
“What’s great about this team is that it’s really a team effort,” Procaccio said. “There isn’t just one standout. They change off on who’s the No 1 and No. 2. That keeps them hungry and excited that they can see each other in the race and know that they’re moving as a group, together, to accomplish something.”
At the 6,000-meter race in Missouri, there was only a 49-second spread across Villanova’s top five finishers. O’Connor led the pack, crossing the finish line in 19 minutes, 55.7 seconds.
Another source of confidence for the team was defeating multiple nationally ranked opponents. The Wildcats outran teams like No. 27 Tennessee and No. 30 Boston College.
“Make Sadie proud”
Shortly before the Pre-National Invitational, the Wildcats received some disappointing news: Four-time All-American runner Sadie Sigfstead would be out for the season because of injury. Sigfstead, a fifth-year graduate student, represented Villanova individually at last year’s NCAA championships and earned 15th in the 6,000-meter race.
While Sigfstead still accompanies the team to meets and mentors her younger teammates, making up for her absence on the course has pushed the runners to take their performances up a notch.
“[Sigfstead] has always been someone who has been way up there in the distance, killing it, so it’s been different and we’ve had to all compensate,” O’Connor said. “We just want to make Sadie proud and perform our best for her.”
» READ MORE: In a season with a lot of promise, keep an eye on Villanova’s newcomers, too
Despite missing their star athlete, the Wildcats have already proved themselves against Big East competition. At the Paul Short Run on Oct. 3, two conference rivals were among the 39 teams that Villanova beat: No. 10 Georgetown and Connecticut. Graduate student Margaret Carroll led the Wildcats, finishing third overall in 19:38.3.
“This is a team that handled adversity very well,” Procaccio said. “Now that we’re ranked 14th, the confidence is building that we don’t have [Sigfstead], but we can still be pretty good. The goal of the year was to qualify for the national meet. … There’s a couple fifth-years and seniors who really want to be back.”
» READ MORE: Villanova hired Kevin Willard to change course. ‘Rebuilding this program’ starts Monday.
The road back to the NCAAs
Reaching the ultimate goal of a team berth at the NCAA championships begins with a strong performance at the Big East championships.
After competing within the conference, Villanova’s future will depend on its success in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet on Nov. 14. A top-four finish in the regional and enough at-large points will qualify the team for nationals.
The Wildcats have tough competition between themselves and the NCAA meet. But O’Connor says that having their eyes on the ultimate goal is what gives the team the adrenaline to succeed.
“I always watch [the national race] through the TV, and I’m like, ‘Wow, I would love to be there,’” O’Connor said. “Now, we have a team that has a huge shot at making it. Every day at practice, we think about it. That’s the big goal, and I would love to be there as a team.”