UC All-Decade: Women's Cross Country

Williamsburg, KY – With 15 NAIA National Qualifiers and four NAIA All-Americans the women’s cross country team has been competitive on both the conference and national levels over the past decade. The Patriots have finished runner-up at the Mid-South Conference Championships seven times in the past decade and have recorded one MSC Runner of the Year and three MSC Freshman of the Year accolades. Danielle Hoop-O’Dell has transcended the women’s cross country program becoming the most decorated runner in program history, which helped land her a spot on UC’S All-Decade Team. 

Hoop-O’Dell is one of the most decorated runners in program history and currently holds the Patriots top two finishes at the NAIA National Championship and is the only runner to capture multiple NAIA Cross Country All-American honors. Hoop-O’Dell’s stellar career that spanned from 2011-2014 including three NAIA All-American honors, qualifying for the NAIA National Championships in each of her four years, being a four-time MSC First Team All-Conference selection, and earning the MSC Runner of the Year award in 2014. She is the only track and cross country athlete, male or female, to automatically qualify for nationals 12 times. 

Hoop-O’Dell found success at Cumberlands from the first moment she stepped foot on campus as she was named the Mid-South Conference Freshman of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference honors after placing sixth at conference championships.  The 2012 season saw fierce competition between Hoop-O’Dell and teammate Darcy Mascotti, who pushed each other to a one-two finish at the conference championship.  The dynamic duo finished within a second of each other at the NAIA National Championshps with Hoop-O’Dell taking 18th, while Mascotti placed 19th making it the first time in program history that UC had multiple All-Americans in a single season.

Her junior year saw continued improvements as Hoop-O’Dell crossed the line in 18:29 at the conference championships to finish runner-up.  She followed that up by posting a season-best time of 18:12 at NAIA Championships in  Lawrence, KS where she placed tenth. That finish remains the only top-ten individual finish at the NAIA National Championships and made Hoop-O’Dell the first Patriot to earn multiple All-American accolades.

Hoop-O’Dell closed out her career by capturing the MSC Runner of the Year honors after crossing the line in 18:10 to run away with the MSC individual title by 29 seconds.  The senior closed out her career by notching her third NAIA All-American honor after she ran 18:30 and finished 26th at the NAIA National Championships.  For her career, Hoop-O’Dell holds UC’s fastest time on 11 different cross country course. Hoop-O’Dell carried her success onto the track, where she recorded All-American honors five times as she graduated as the most decorated runner in Cumberlands history. 

Hoop-O’Dell graduated from UC in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.  Upon graduation, Hoop stayed at Cumberlands where she graduated in 2018 with her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies. Hoop-O’Dell is currently a Physician Assistant at Shelby Pediatrics, while being married to UC alum Travis O’Dell and they have a dog named Wrigley and two cats named Zorro and Oliver.  

The UC All-Decade Team was determined based on stats, awards & honors received, and significance to the program in addition to input for members of the UC Athletic Department. It will include one representative from every sport and be comprised of 29 student-athletes. The all decade team looked at everything from the 2010-2011 season through the 2019-2020 season.