Women's Cross Country | 11/5/2025 11:41:00 AM
Balance, discipline, drive - three words that define Anna Quackenbush.
Last weekend, she led the Red Flash to a third place finish at the NEC Cross Country Championships.
In the first ever race at the 6k distance, Quackenbush placed fourth after completing the course in 22.37.5. Now in her third season, Quackenbush believes she is running at her best level.
"I have put more mileage in the bank this summer and throughout the season than ever before," Quackenbush said. "I am very proud of my team as well. Not only did three of us make the top ten, but there were a number of other standout performances."
Teammates Rosie Gaydos and Morgan McNaughton finished seventh and eighth respectively to also earn All-NEC Honors.
Quackenbush is setting an equally impressive pace in the classroom. She is excelling in the school's Physician Assistant program with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
"I have a Type-A personality. I love digging into my competitors' times and figuring out who I want to be around when the gun goes off," Quackenbush said. "I've always strongly believed that hard work, commitment, and tenacity are superior to natural talent or smarts."
That mindset attracted Quackenbush to running, but it wasn't always part of the plan. A softball player since the age of eight, she expected to be lacing up cleats in college. Quackenbush also played field hockey in her hometown of Mount Airy, Maryland. The road map changed when her high school coached urged her to give cross country a try.
"At that time, I was no standout athlete," admits Quackenbush. "I was a hard worker, and I had some amazing teammates as role models to inspire me."
It was the physician assistant (PA) program that initially attracted Quackenbush to Saint Francis. She said the feeling she got after meeting the coaches and the friendly community made it a perfect fit.
"I'm in my didactic year of PA school right now, so juggling both has been a bit more challenging. I don't think I would survive school without going on a run every day."
With a sister in medical school and a father who works as a physical therapist, she can also lean on her family to grind through the tough classes. Quackenbush is pursuing a minor in compassionate care. While those long runs give some much-needed time for herself, she is always ready to lend a helping hand.
"I try to volunteer when I go home on breaks. Much of my volunteering is with a local soup kitchen. I think it's important to give time to those in need. It helps me appreciate the blessings I have in life."
Maybe it's the sunglasses, but Quackenbush always appears to be laser focused on race day. The tinted glasses have become sort of a trademark.
"I've been wearing my Goodr sunglasses in races since high school," laughed Quackenbush. "I have about 10 different pairs in different colors. I always wear my red ones for races. Maybe one day they will sponsor me."
Right now the focus is on the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship at Lehigh University on November 14.
"I think that regionals will be a good opportunity to strive for another PR (personal record). Lehigh is a fast course, and regionals is a competitive meet so it's going to be a lot of fun."
