AVE MARIA, Fla. - The NAIA No. 20 Embry-Riddle Women's Cross Country team placed six runners in the top 10 and three in the top five to claim their sixth consecutive Sun Conference Cross Country Championship on Saturday morning on the campus of Ave Maria University. The Eagles will receive an automatic bid to the 2011 NAIA National Championships on Nov. 19 in Vancouver, Wash. The women's cross country team joins the men's cross country team to be the first 2011 ERAU squads to earn bids to their respective national championships.

For the first time this season a new Eagle finished first for the Blue and Gold as junior Karina Coelho raced to a 19:34.59 mark, good for second overall. SCAD Savannah's Melanie Novack won the eight-team event in 19:26.98.

Coelho was followed closely by senior Julie Mayfield (19:45.11) and sophomore Ellie Staker (19:58.89). Mayfield finished third overall in the race, a one-spot improvement from her fourth-place finish in 2010. Staker, who had been the first Eagle finisher in all six of ERAU's previous meets, finished in fifth place overall, three places better than her finish last season.

Rounding out the Eagle scorers were Baleigh Hyatt and Nicole Bonk. Hyatt's 20:34.27 time was good for seventh overall, it marked the third race in a row that the senior from Titusville, Fla. was the fourth Eagle finisher. Bonk was the ninth overall finisher in 20:50.99, her second-best overall finish of the year.

Freshmen Aleiyah Ross (20:53.03) and Bailey Eaton (22:02.38) both finished in the top-20, while Kira Ball (22:15.39), Jaena Smith (22:27.44) and Brittany Cross (23:42.06) all competed for the six-time conference champion Eagles. Smith's time was a personal best, a feat all the more impressive on a course that ran about 60-90 seconds slower than what the Eagles' usually run.

"This was a great team performance today," Head Coach Mike Rosolino said. "They passed this stepping stone to the real goal which is nationals. Everyone did their job and took care of business. Karina and Julie are starting to step up and round into shape at the perfect time. Jaena really stepped up for us, she hit a personal record on a very difficult course. I am so proud of this group of women who have worked hard through adversity and injuries to come out on top."

The Eagles tallied 26 total points for their team title, SCAD Savannah (38), Webber International (100), Warner (105) and South Carolina-Beaufort (122) rounded out the top five.

Novack received Sun Conference Runner of the Year Honors, as well as the Newcomer of the Year Award.

Joining Novack on the first team All-Conference roster was Coelho (ERAU), Mayfield (ERAU), Hannah Lieberman (SCAD), Staker (ERAU), Megan O'Boyle (SCAD) and Hyatt (ERAU).

The second team All-Sun Conference roster included Selena Hutson (USCB), Bonk (ERAU), Ross (ERAU), Kaylea Spurlin (WU), Maxime Copley (WU), Sarah Caskey (SCAD) and Heather Riniker (SCAD).

Rosolino earned his sixth Sun Conference Coach of the Year award while Sarah Turrubiate from USCB was named the 2011 Champion of Character award winner.

Embry-Riddle has two weeks to prepare for the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 19. The women's best finish at nationals came in 2009 when they place 16th.