Women's Cross Country

2014 Women’s Cross Country Championship Preview

Contact: Lou Groce, Director of Media and Information, 920-229-8157

GRINNELL, Iowa – The 36th Midwest Conference Women’s Cross Country Championship will be held this Saturday at Reid Municipal Golf Course in Appleton, Wis.

Championship Page

15 of the 20 members of the 2013 Midwest Conference All-Conference team return in what will be a loaded field on Saturday.  Lawrence University returns four runners that finished in the top-20 at the 2013 Championship including junior Claire Bruning who finished sixth.  Sophomore Amy Hutchings recorded a ninth place finish last season while juniors Cora Williams and Liz Landes finished 19th and 20th, respectively.  Freshman Erin Schrobilgen has the top-time for the Vikings this season and was named the MWC Performer of the Week after she finished seventh overall at the Concordia University Falcon Invitational.

Cornell College and Grinnell College bring back three all-conference performers from 2013.  Abrah Masterson battled injuries earlier this season, but turned in the fourth-best performance in the league this season at the Tori Neubauer Invitational.  Masterson edged out teammate Sam Martinez at last year’s championship by 13 seconds, but Martinez has thrived in 2014.  Martinez has the top-time in the MWC and has been named the Performer of the Week three times.  Also back for the Rams is sophomore Rachel Moline and junior Laura Wetzel. 

The Pioneers lost two-time MWC Champion Sarah Burnell to graduation, but the defending champions bring back a strong group of runners led by sophomore Alosha Southern.  Southern has the ninth-best time in the conference this season and finished eighth in last year’s conference race.  Senior Diana Seer hopes to make another appearance on the all-conference list, as does junior Paulina Campbell.

St. Norbert College’s Lisa Baeten has already made her mark on the Midwest Conference in her first season and is looking for more on Saturday.  Baeten has been named the conference’s Performer of the Week three times already this season and currently has the third-best time in league in 2014.  Back for the Green Knights is all-conference performers Charlotte Walsh, who finished 10th at the 2013 Championship, and Brittany Kozlowski, who took 18th.  Sophomore Alyssa Price looks to be vastly improved in her second season as does classmate Erin Artz.  Artz has the seventh-best time in the MWC in 2014 while Price is rated 15th.   

Despite having only one returning all-conference performer, senior Karen Jones, Beloit College has four runners currently rated in the top-20 in the league.  Sara DeLong is currently 10th with her performance at the Benedictine University Invitational, while Eleanor Waddle is in 12th.  Junior Emma Koenig is looking to earn an all-conference medal as she is ranked 14th in the league. 

Lake Forest College’s Kirsten Whitney is hoping to improve on her 28th place finish in 2013 and she currently has the eighth-best time in the MWC in 2014.  Also looking for top-20 finishes are freshman Alexia Leonardo and Cassandra Lira, who have the 18th and 19th best times, respectively. 

Kyra Kimber has led Monmouth College this season. The 2013 fourth place finisher was named the MWC Performer of the Week two weeks ago after winning the Loras College Invitational.  2013 MWC All-Conference Performer Ana Flores of Illinois College is back to lead the Lady Blues, while Elizabeth Reyes returns to lead Knox College. 

Amy Knokol has been Carroll University’s top-runner so far this season and Ripon College’s Karla Perez has led the Red Hawks. 

The 6,000-kilometer race begins at 12:00 p.m.