With “RUNABC” personalized on their Pennsylvania license plate, freshmen Amanda, Brianna, and Christina Faust drove three hours from their hometown, Macungie, Pa., to run for the Quinnipiac women’s cross country team.

“The first time we came here, we loved it,” Amanda said.

The blond-haired Faust triplets, nicknamed “ABC” due to their initials, first heard about Quinnipiac from former Quinnipiac cross country runner Heather Hoffman. Hoffman graduated from the same high school as the triplets, Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pa.

“We knew her mom, and her mom had always told us that Heather loved Quinnipiac,” Christina said. “Her mom said, ‘You need to go check this place out.’ ”

Head coach Carolyn Martin, also a former Quinnipiac cross country runner, was a teammate of Hoffman’s.
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“[Hoffman’s] parents were very friendly with the whole program,” Martin said. “They were the ones who first brought the triplets to our attention. They said, ‘I have triplets for you.’ ”

The Fausts were on Quinnipiac’s radar ever since they were freshmen in high school.

“We followed them for a while,” Martin said. “My assistant, Roy Harrison, followed them more solely throughout their career. We were thrilled once we knew they were very interested.”

Not only did Quinnipiac’s cross country team interest the triplets, but the Physician Assistant Program also contributed to their decision to come to Quinnipiac.

The 19-year-old Faust triplets have been together ever since they were born. They were named in the order in which they were born. Amanda, the oldest of the trio, was born at 10:27 p.m. on Sept. 15, 1991, while Brianna followed at 10:28 and then Christina at 10:30.

Having been together their entire lives, their college decision came as no surprise.

“We wouldn’t have been able to split up,” Christina said. “We are really close. When it came to college, we wanted to stay together.”

They came to Quinnipiac as a unit, but they are not completely together when it comes to housing arrangements at Quinnipiac. They are scattered among three different residence halls: Commons, Dana, and Ledges.

“The first week was so rough,” Brianna said. “We would call each other to say goodnight.”

The trio seems to do everything together. They also played soccer until seventh grade, Amanda said.

“We were soccer players, but all the soccer teams were filled up, so our guidance counselor said, ‘Why don’t you girls run cross country to stay in shape for soccer,’ ” Amanda said. “We did and we found out we liked it.”

Christina added: “Back home, running is a big thing with clubs. It’s a huge running community.”

The triplets helped Emmaus win the last three Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Cross Country Team Championships.

As teammates and siblings, the triplets rarely ever fight with each other.

“We have our moments and it’s over stupid stuff,” Christina said. “We will be mad at each other for like five minutes.”

They seem to get along well and serve as a good support system for each other, especially during races.

The sisters run together in the summer, but sometimes it can become a race of their own.

“We push each other,” Christina said. “It makes us faster in a workout or even in a race.”

The triplets most recently pushed each other to finish in A-B-C order at the Quinnipiac Invitational Tournament on Saturday. Amanda, who was recently named NEC Rookie of the Week, finished in second place with a time of 18:41 in the 5,000-meter race. Brianna and Christina followed close behind with times of 18:53 and 19:03, respectively.

“We always try to stick together,” Christina said. “Amanda is usually the faster one. Brianna and I try to stick up with her, I try and stick up with Brianna.”

Christina has found participating in collegiate cross country to be overwhelming.

“As a freshman, you feel like a little fish in a big pond,” Christina said. “But to have [your sisters] in the race too, it’s really fun.”

In preparing for a race, the triplets have an unusual routine that has been with them since high school.

“We always have ice cream the night before,” Christina said. “That’s what we used to do in high school. Our team would get ice cream before meets. So when we got here, we had to keep this going.”

The three of them were discouraged by the Bobcat Den’s ice cream selection.

“The Bobcat Den only has a little bit of ice cream,” Christina said. “We like ice cream ice cream, not ice cream bars. The juniors [on the team] went out and got us ice cream.”

The triplets’ favorite ice cream flavor is cookie dough, they agreed with a smile.

The triplets bring a similar smile to the track.

“They always have a positive attitude and always have a smile on their face no matter what,” Martin said.

Martin has high goals for the freshman trio. They have had an immediate impact on the team as they have been in the team’s top five for a couple weeks, according to Martin.

“They all have their role,” Harrison said. “They all run about the same time. It’s crazy. We are so lucky to have them.”

Photo credits: Charlotte Greene