Watch the video
As the countdown of the top five moments of the 2016-17 season continues, USF cross country again finds itself in the spotlight – this time for the historic day in Terre Haute, Ind., for the women's cross country team.

The Dons blew through the 2016 NCAA Championships course and came away with a No. 6 team finish on the national stage, propelled by All-American Charlotte Taylor's impressive 10th place run.

"That was a true team performance," reflected USF assistant coach Benji Wetli. "It was really fun to go into the NCAA Championships knowing we had such a cohesive, tough, and talented team that was under the radar on the national scene and surprise so many people, when we knew all along that we were fully capable of a performance like that and to deliver when it matters most is all you can ask for."

After a lengthy pause to tabulate the team scores, USF found itself three points ahead of last year's champion New Mexico to claim sixth in the standings. The Dons' previous best finish at the NCAA Championships was 18th place, recorded in 2013.

"It took so long for the results to become final, but when they did, we ran over to our team tent to tell them and it was truly a special moment," recalled USF head coach Helen Lehman-Winters. "It was not a perfect team race, but it rarely is. This group just did what got them there – they ran for each other.  Finishing sixth in the country has only led to more fire within the team to achieve at even higher level this next fall."

Taylor and the Dons are poised to yet again make their impact known on the national stage, with five returners from the six women who competed in the 2016 NCAA Championships. Taylor is joined on the 2017 roster by Weronika Pyzik, Isabelle Brauer, Marie Bouchard and Tatjana Schulte along with a bevy of high-caliber Dons anticipated to challenge for even more on the course.

The team is slated to begin the season on Sept. 2, at the 25th USF Cross Country Invitational in Golden Gate Park.
 
Missed the first three countdown moments? Catch up here:
No. 5 – USF defeats Pepperdine for the First time in program history
No. 4 – Alex Short becomes the second Don to claim WCC individual crown
No. 3 – USF Dons men's soccer takes down defending champion Stanford