Manfra Named Second-Team Google Cloud Academic All-American

2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-America

AUSTIN, Texas – Junior Emily Manfra of the Suffolk women's cross country and track & field team has garnered 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-America Division III second-team status, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the organization announced Tuesday afternoon. 

A biology major from Stoneham, Massachusetts, with a 3.98 grade-point average, Manfra was named a Google Cloud Academic All-American for the first time in her career and is the first-ever Suffolk cross country/track & field to pick up the nod. She is the second Ram to be honored with Academic All-American distinction in as many years as softball's Taylor Holmes '18 picked up the feat a year ago. Additionally, Manfra is the second-ever female student-athlete in Suffolk history to claim the honors from CoSIDA and third-ever as men's basketball's Brian Small is the lone male student-athlete to earn the laurels in 2006-07. 

Manfra had a stand-out junior season with athletic accolades on the conference, regional and national level throughout every season. 

Accomplishments were achieved early and often. In the fall, the long-distance runner cruised to All-GNAC accolades with a runner-up finish on the conference championship course, crossing the 5k tape in 19:38. Two weeks later she came through the 6k chute in 22:26.54, to claim 17th in the field of 399, to seal her spot in Suffolk's history books as the first-ever runner to compete at the NCAA DIII Cross Country National Championships. 

Over the winter, she picked up All-America status in the mile. She made her way to compete on the national level after producing the Rams' first-ever women's sub-5:00.0 mile at Boston University's John Terrier Classic Jan. 25 when she put together a time of 4:56.82. At nationals, she secured her spot in the finals after running a preliminary 5:01.69 and became the first-ever All-American the following day with a personal-best time of 4:54.13 to finish fifth overall.

Success carried to the spring when Manfra completed the national's trifecta earning a spot in the 1500 field. The 2019 Female Track Athlete of the Year became the first-ever Ram to race at an outdoor national event and finished just shy of All-America feat once again, with a ninth-place showing, three seconds short of the top-eight.