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

GRINNELL, Iowa – The 2017 Midwest Conference (MWC) Women’s Cross Country Championship will be held at The Links at Jacksonville on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. and will be hosted by Illinois College.    

Championship Page

St. Norbert College is the league’s defending champion and was ranked nationally earlier this season.  Currently, the Green Knights rank seventh in the Midwest Region according to the U. S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).  The Green Knights dominated MWC competition at last season’s championship as they had 10 of the top 21 finishers.  2016 All-MWC Performers Taylor Domro, Tori Nelsen, Abby Janto, Graceanne Tarsa, Alyssa Wegner and Gretchen Price are all back to defend their title.  Sarah Parbs could also finish in the top 20 this season and add an all-conference award to her resume.  St. Norbert has only won back-to-back MWC titles one other time in program history (2002-2003).   

Grinnell and Cornell should provide plenty of competition for the defending champions.  The Pioneers currently rank No. 8 in the USTFCCCA’s Central Region poll and defeated the Green Knights at Carleton College last month, while the Rams lineup features the top runner in the conference, MariKate Murphy. 

Grinnell is led by Emma Zimmerman, who owns the second-fastest time in the conference so far this season.  The senior finished fifth at last season’s championship and took seventh in 2015.  Emma Luhmann should also be a big factor for the Pioneers as she is attempting to become a four-time All-MWC Performer.  Anna Ahrens and Tori Laverdiere also bring All-MWC experience to the lineup.  Freshman Cara Keleher and Ally Cottrell could also aid the effort as they seek all-conference recognition in their first seasons. 

Cornell’s Murphy has filled the void left by last season’s champion Abrah Masterson.  Murphy ran the top time in the conference on October 14 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and has been named the MWC Performer of the Week four times.  Dominique Fleming finished 12^th at last season’s championship and is in position for another all-conference medal.  Lily Niswonger is hoping to break through for the Rams as she ranks sixth in the league heading into Saturday. 

Monmouth College should also improve on last season’s fifth-place finish as the Fighting Scots boast three runners that could record top-20 finishes.  Joanna Podosek leads the group as she currently ranks fourth in the MWC and took seventh last fall.  Fellow senior Stephanie Saey ranks seventh in the league, while junior Caitlyn Allen is seeded 11^th and earned All-MWC honors in 2015. 

Lake Forest College freshman Yaneli Guajardo ranks an impressive 10^th heading into the championship and should team with veteran Cassie Lira, who finished sixth last season, to form a solid duo at the top of the Forester lineup.  Two-time MWC Performer of the Week Hannah Kinzer of Lawrence University is aiming to earn her first MWC medal as she ranks 12^th in the league, while Knox College’s Rebecca Katz ranks 15^th and leads the way for the Prairie Fire. 

The women’s race will begin at 12:00 p.m. and will follow the men’s race, which begins at 11:00 a.m.