About the Program
The women's cross-country team at Bowdoin College was instituted
in 1976, and gained immediate national respect. The participation
of future-Olympic champion Joan Benoit '79, and three- time
All-American Jane Petrick '82 established the Polar Bears as one of
the premier programs in New England and the country.
In recent years, the Polar Bears have competed well in the NESCAC-
one of the most competitive conferences in the nation- and have run
well at the New England Championship meets. In 2003, Libby Barney
was named as the NCAA's Woman of the Year for the State of Maine,
exhibiting the exceptional balance between academics and athletics
that Bowdoin offers.