Oct. 4, 2016
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Honors continue to roll in for University of Notre Dame sophomore Anna Rohrer, who today was tabbed Atlantic Coast Conference Cross Country Performer of the Week.
Rohrer, who yesterday was named USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week, won the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational with an Irish personal record (16:11.7) on Friday. Her finish was the second-best in the meet’s 30-year history.
The national and ACC honors are the first of Rohrer’s short career.
“It’s an honor to be named player of the week, but honestly, I’m trying to put it aside because I realize that it is a long season and my success this past weekend will not be important come November,” Rohrer said. “It’s exciting, but I need to remember what the long-term goal is.”
A native of Mishawaka, Indiana, Rohrer experienced a successful freshman campaign in 2015. Her top finishes, however, including a first-place finish in the National Catholic 5K, occurred in the shadow of former teammate and four-time National Champion Molly Seidel.
Irish associate head coach Matt Sparks emphasized that with the loss of Seidel, there is no one to pave the way for Rohrer. In just one meet this season, Rohrer proved she has what it takes to fill that role.
“Anna had a great freshman year, but much of that success was following Molly Seidel’s lead,” Sparks said. “This year, Anna is relearning how to win. Her performance at the JPND Invite gave her the necessary confidence going forward.”
This year, due in some ways to Seidel’s advice, Rohrer is making a national statement in a hurry.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned from Molly that contributes to my success is confidence and toughness in workouts and races,” Rohrer said. “It used to be somewhat frightening to look at workouts that seem way over my head, but working out with Molly has helped me get to the next level, feel confident in my abilities and look forward to tackling workouts and races.”
Rohrer placed 11th at the World Junior Track & Field Championships 5K as a member of Team USA in June. Last season, she finished sixth and received All-America honors in the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championship.
The Irish return to action on October 14, when the women race in the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational (Madison, Wisconsin) at 12:30 p.m. CT and the men run in the Bradley Classic (Peoria, Illinois) at 3 p.m. CT.
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Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse and cross country/track and field programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.