BROCKTON, Mass. ---- Last season Massasoit Community College did not have a track program.
What a difference a year makes.
In 2014, the Warriors are sending an individual to the NJCAA National Championship hosted by Mohawk Valley CC in Utica, N.Y. (May 9-11) for the first time in school history.
At the Regis Pride Classic this past Sunday, freshman Kerry O'Neil of Stoughton finished fourth in the 5,000-meter race in a time of 21:45.85. Not only did O'Neil claim the best-ever finish in any event by a Warrior, the long distance runner advanced to become the first-ever track student-athlete to compete at a National Championship from Massasoit.
"I was very excited that Massasoit added track because I didn't think I would get to be on a team this year," O'Neil said. "My goal all along was to make Nationals and am so happy I get the opportunity to go."
O'Neil, who graduated from nearby Stoughton High School in 2013 ran both track and cross country for the Black Knights. On the track side, she won every 2-mile dual meet her senior season and also competed in the 1-mile race.
At the college level, the 2-mile race is not offered, meaning O'Neil had to transition into the 5,000-meter race (3.1 miles), which has proven to be no hurdle for the true freshman. O'Neil was already used to succeeding in long distance races and her track record proved it as she earned Brockton Enterprise All-Scholastic honors her senior season in cross country.
As the 2014 season went along for the Warriors, O'Neil, along with her teammates, showed improvements in times from meet to meet in the first year of the program.
The Warriors opened the season at the Corsair Classic hosted by UMass Dartmouth. In her first collegiate race, O'Neil finished 29th in the 5,000-meter in 22:35.65 against a field that featured 34 colleges.
After a two-week break in the schedule, Massasoit then took part in the Fitchburg State Invitational. O'Neil improved her time to 22:28.71 and earned a then school-best sixth place finish. In fact, the track meet was scored and she accounted for Massasoit's first points (3) in program lore as the Lady Warriors placed ninth at the invitational.
The first two meets set the stage for O'Neil this past Sunday. She sped off in her race, getting as high as third place during the run, but settled into the fourth slot in her heat from the third lap on. O'Neil showcased consistency throughout her event as well as confidence during the run en route to her fourth place finish.
The newfound confidence led to an impressive 50-second improvement from her first collegiate event to her third.
"I felt better last meet because I felt more like my high school self again," O'Neil said. "I had been off from training for a long time, since I did not run cross country in the fall and it took a while to get back in the groove."
O'Neil made history last Sunday and she gets one more race this season to show why she's a Warrior.
The 5,000-meter race at the National Championship is scheduled for Saturday, May 10 at 3 p.m.