Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Assistant Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
GRINNELL, Iowa — The Green Knights of St. Norbert College have been selected by the women’s cross country head coaches of the Midwest Conference (MWC) to win their fourth consecutive championship meet this fall.
The Green Knights received eight first-place votes and 80 points to take first place in the poll. The Pioneers of Grinnell College followed with two first-place votes and 71 points for second place.
St. Norbert will look to continue their domination by capturing their first four-peat in program history after securing their first three-peat with last season’s championship victory. The Pioneers are the lone team in MWC women’s cross country to four-peat, doing so from 2004-2007. Head Coach Evelyn Freeman and the Pioneers hope to end St. Nobert’s historic run and recapture the championship crown, their first since consecutive titles in 2013 and 2014.
Last season’s runner-up for the title, Monmouth College earned 68 points for third place. The Scots and head coach Jon Welty enter this season with a deep returning core that will look to challenge St. Norbert for the top spot and claim the league title for the first time since 2012.
Landing in the exact spots that they finished last season, the Rams of Cornell College are expected to take fourth place with 54 points and the Foresters of Lake Forest College earned 47 points to place fifth.
The 2019 season kicks off on August 30 as six of the league’s teams take action. Knox College will host this year’s MWC Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 2.
Full preseason poll results can be found below followed by quick facts for all ten MWC teams.
Team (First-Place Votes), Points
2019 MWC Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
- St. Norbert College (8), 80 points
- Grinnell College (2), 71 points
- Monmouth College, 68 points
- Cornell College, 54 points
- Lake Forest College, 47 points
- Ripon College, 38 points
- Lawrence University, 31 points
- Beloit College, 29 points
- Knox College, 17 points
- Illinois College, 15 points
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Dave Eckburg (20
th Season)
2018 MWC Finish: 8
th
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 8
th
Key Returnees: Frances Knaggs (Jr)
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Tashina Steggall (1
st Season)
2018 MWC Finish: 1
st place
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 4
th
Key Returnees: Morgan Barnard (Sr), Marissa Czapla (Sr), Lexi Ferenzi (Sr), Erin Hosto (Jr)
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Evelyn Freeman (40
th Season)
2018 Finish: 2
nd
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 2
nd
Key Returnees: Ally Cottrell (Jr), Mikayla Fujiwara (Sr), Tori LaVerdiere (Sr)
Illinois College Lady Blues
Head Coach: Jason Haynes (6
th Season)
2018 MWC Finish: 10
th
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 10
th
Key Returnees: Ashlyn Haage (Sr), Rebecca Lucas (Sr)
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Adam Flyte (1
st Season)
2018 MWC Finish: 9
th
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 9
th
Key Returnees: Rachel Corzine (So), Danica Dosmann (Jr), Natalie Laird (Sr), McKenzie Meadows (Jr)
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Ciara Kissane (2
nd Season)
2018 MWC Finish: 5
th
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 5
th
Key Returnees: Yaneli Guajardo (Jr)
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Jason Fast (11
th Season)
2018 MWC Finish: 6
th
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 7
th
Key Returnees: Alex Chand (Jr), Leah Hawksford (So), Natalie LaMonto (So)
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Jon Welty (5
th Season)
2018 MWC Finish: 2
nd
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 3
rd
Key Returnees: Arika Hofmann (So), Mik Moore (So), Julia Sterr (Jr), Caroline Young (So)
Ripon College Redhawks
Head Coach: Corey Bins (3
rd Season)
2018 MWC Finish: 7
th
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 6
th
Key Returnees: Szasha Evanoff (So), Morgan Exner (Sr), Madie King (Jr), Natalie King (So), Alyssa Naber (So), Terrina Phillips (Sr), Morgan Waye (So), Makaila Weddle (So)
St. Norbert College Green Knights
Head Coach: Don Augustine (13
th Season)
2018 MWC Finish: 1
st
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 1
st
Key Returnees: Alex Bruley (So), Abby Janto (Sr), Elisabeth Klumpyan (Jr)