CMC75 Moments: 1984 Women's Cross Country Earns Seventh-Place Finish at First NCAAs

As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moment, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.

Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
1984 Women's Cross Country: Nagle Leads Athenas to First NCAA Bid 

After CMS instituted women's sports in 1976-77, one of the first CMS Athenas to become dominant nationally in her sport was Cindy Nagle, who competed in both cross country and track. Nagle joined the athletic department during the first year of NCAA competition in 1981-82 (women's sports were previously under the AIAW), and proceeded to come in second place at the first NCAA Division III Championships. In 1984, she was a senior capping off an eight-time All-America career in cross country and track (she remains the only cross country runner - Stag or Athena - to earn All-America honors four times), and she was able to bring her team with her for the first time, as the Athenas edged Notre Dame of Belmont at the NCAA West Regionals to earn a team qualification to nationals for the first time in the program's young history.

CMS came in an impressive seventh place overall at its debut at nationals, and Nagle earned All-America honors with her fourth top-10 finish in a row (seventh). Liane Kivela was also an All-American, while Wendy Wallace (9th), Sheilagh Boyle (11th), Cathy Zuck (13th), Jessica Tisdale (14th), and Raquel Rudolph (19th) earned All-SCIAC honors for top 20 finishes. Nagle graduated as one of only two NCAA Division III women with four top-10 finishes at nationals and was named to the Division III Cross Country All-Century Team in 1999, while adding four top-three finishes in track and field to her total of eight All-America honors. She and Kivela, who earned All-America honors again in 1987, have both been inducted into the CMS Athletics Hall of Fame.   

The 1984 SCIAC Women's Cross Country Championship was also the first for a new head coach, John Goldhammer, who was in his debut season with the CMS cross country and track programs in 1984-85. It would be the first of many championships for him, as Goldhammer was remarkably a part of 86 SCIAC titles between the four programs over his 36 years from 1984-2020.

Cindy Nagle:

Running for CMS Track and Cross Country was such a tremendous gift for me. I have a treasure trove of wonderful memories of my time running at Scripps. My love and enjoyment for running continues to this very day.  I learned quite a bit in my four years competing for CMS, about goal setting, discipline, grit, friendship, 'teammate-hood', and even some about running.

I had been fortunate enough to have been able to compete at Cross Country and Track Nationals as an individual, but competing with my teammates made Cross Country Nationals even more of a special event. In prior Nationals, I wanted to represent myself, my coach, and my school with a great effort. But now, with our team competing, I wanted to be a big part in our collective effort. I was thrilled to be able share in this experience with our team.

I recall warming up with the team before the race in our brand spanking new CMS sweats thinking what a perfect way to end my CMS Cross Country career, and then to cheer each other on as we finished was just icing on the cake.

1984 Women's Cross Country Roster
Head Coach: John Goldhammer
Sheilagh Boyle (So., Scripps)
Roccella Carrozza (So., Scripps)
Liane Kivela (Fr., Scripps)
Cindy Nagle (Sr., Scripps)
Christine Pakkala (Sr., Scripps)
Raquel Rudolph (Sr., Scripps)
Jessica Tisdale (Fr., CMC)
Margaret Vandevert (So., Scripps)
Wendy Wallace (Sr., Scripps)
Cathy Zuck (Sr., Scripps)