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Cross Country Teams
Achieve Highest National Finishes Ever
Complete Men's
Results
Complete Women's
Results
HANOVER, Ind. � Most cross country races are
won at the end, but the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men�s
and women�s squads made it a point to win the start of the race and it
paid off as both teams achieved their highest-ever national finishes
at the NCAA Division III championships in Hanover, Ind.
The Pointer men�s team placed second overall
and the women�s team was third as both teams overcame hot weather and
a treacherous course.
�It was hot and a lot of people just died,�
said Pointer men�s coach Rick Witt about the conditions that were over
70 degrees. �We got out where we wanted to be and we just stayed
there. Our guys were strong today.�
Senior Curt Johnson, normally the team�s top
runner was hampered by an injured knee and finished 18th in 25:36.
Junior Mark LaLonde came through with a 12th place performance in
25:33 as the Pointer men bettered their previous best national finish
of third place in 1996.
�Curt was hurting and Mark really stepped it
up today,� Witt said. �I knew going in we were going to run well, but
we were there from the gun.�
Adam Bucholz was 40th overall in 25:58 and
Andy Bednarek was 51st in 26:08. James Levash was 60th in 26:17.
Calvin (Mich.) won the national title with
48 points and UW-Stevens Point was second with 128 points. North
Central (Ill.) was third with 155 points and UW-La Crosse was fourth
with 163 points. Defending champion UW-Oshkosh was ninth.
�I said all week we were hoping to (finish
in the top four and) get a trophy,� Witt said. �Never in my wildest
dreams did I think we could get second.�
The women�s team matched its third place
finish from the very first national meet in 1981. Leah Herlache and
Jenna Mitchler both crossed the finish line in 23:00 to finish 37th
and 38th, respectively. Teresa Stanley was close behind at 23:18 in
46th place.
�We got out in position,� Hill said. �Three
of our kids got out there and stayed together while two others did
their jobs and had strong finishes.�
The others who helped the Pointers achieve
the high team finish were Megan Craig, who was 95th in 23:48 and
Ashleigh Potuznik, who was 101st in 23:51.
�It was kind of an ugly race,� Hill added.
�This was a slow, tough course and I�m just happy all of our kids were
able to finish. There were a lot of women that weren�t even able to
finish the race.�
Middlebury (Vt.) won the team championship
with 135 points and Trinity (Conn.) was second with 174 points.
UW-Stevens Point totaled 193 to edge defending champion Williams
(Mass.), which had 206, for third place.
�I�m very happy with it,� Hill said. �Under
the circumstances, we�re very happy with what we were able to do.� |
