WATERVILLE, Maine – On Thursday afternoon, the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) office announced the 2025 women's cross country major awards as well as the recipients of the All-Conference honors. The University of Maine at Farmington took home three of the conference's four major awards, with Lina Martinez Nocito (Mt. Vernon, Maine) being named Runner of the Year, Kaylee Johnston (Bangor, Maine) receiving Rookie of the Year honors, and the coaching staff earning Coaching Staff of the Year recognition.
Martinez Nocito, Johnston, senior Eve Poteet (Fairhill, Md.), and first-year Dellaney Flower were all named to the First Team All-Conference.
Martinez Nocito was dominant all season long for the Beavers, claiming three first-place finishes in the five meets she competed in. At the NAC Championship, Martinez Nocito topped the field to earn individual champion honors, finishing the 6K 52 seconds ahead of the next closest runner. She also earned first-place finishes at both the Beaver Invitational and the NAC Preview Meet, where she finished 1 minute and 22 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Martinez Nocito also turned in strong performances at the Maine State Championship and the James Earley Invitational, placing 22nd and 9th, respectively.
Johnston made an immediate impact for the Beavers right from the opening meet. In Farmington's season opener, she placed fifth overall to help the team capture first place. At the NAC Championship, Johnston finished sixth overall with a time of 26:27.8, earning First Team All-Conference honors. She also placed sixth at the NAC Preview Meet, 67th at the Maine State Championship, and 84th at the James Earley Invitational. Johnston was named NAC Rookie of the Week once this season.
Poteet, who was named to the NAC Second Team All-Conference a season ago, made a significant leap this year to earn First Team All-Conference recognition. After placing 11th overall at last year's championship, Poteet improved to fourth place at this season's event. She opened the season strong, placing second overall at the Beaver Invitational, and followed that with a third-place finish at the NAC Preview Meet. Poteet also finished 54th at the Maine State Championship and 51st in a competitive James Earley Invitational field.
Along with Johnston, Flower enjoyed a phenomenal rookie season for the Beavers. After earning NAC Rookie of the Week honors twice, Flower capped off her debut season by being named to the First Team All-Conference. She competed in four races, finishing inside the top 10 in three of them. Flower placed third in the season-opening Beaver Invitational, fifth at the NAC Preview, and seventh at the NAC Championship—running a time of 26:31.2 to secure All-Conference recognition.
Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Sean Cabaniss and Head Coach Robbie Hollis were named the Coaching Staff of the Year after leading the Beavers to their first conference title since 2018. The duo assembled one of the deepest rosters in the NAC, guiding Farmington to the top spot after finishing third twice and second once over the previous three seasons. This year, the Beavers earned two regular-season meet victories, taking first place at both the Beaver Invitational and the NAC Preview Meet. The Coaching Staff of the Year award adds to Cabaniss and Hollis's impressive résumé, which already includes back-to-back NAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors on the men's side.
