Showing little ill effect from a year-long layoff from competitive racing, Sierra Witnov claimed second place for the home team in the women’s 6,000 meters Saturday morning at the Whitman College Invitational at Fort Walla Walla Park.
Witnov, a senior who missed last season while on foreign study, finished in 23 minutes, 50.63 seconds, about 19 seconds behind the winner, Tausha Kuzmic, a senior at Lewis-Clark State College. Kuzmic, an NAIA All-American, finished second in last year’s Whitman Invitational.
”Sierra had a great race,” Whitman coach Neal Christopherson said. “Because of her long layoff, we didn’t know what to expect. She ran well, finishing second, ahead of Whitworth’s top runner, so that bodes well for the rest of the season.”
Two years ago, at the end of her sophomore season, Witnov placed fourth in both the Northwest Conference Championships and the NCAA Div. III West Regionals, qualifying for the national championships.
In the men's 8,000 meters Saturday, Whitman senior Conor Flynn shook off a side cramp to place 12th in 28:19.10. Flynn, who finished less than three seconds out of 10th place, placed 11th in last year’s invitational.
”Had it not been for the cramp, which can be very uncomfortable, Conor could have finished a few spots higher,” Christopherson said. “That slowed him down a bit.”
In the team scoring, the Whitman women placed third in a four-school field with 80 place points. Lewis-Clark State dominated the women’s race, taking first with just 25 points. Whitworth was 18 points back in second place. Northwest Nazarene University finished fourth with 96 points.
Whitworth won the men’s team scoring with 38 points, a single point ahead of runner-up Northwest Nazarene. Lewis-Clark State was third with 47 points and Whitman fourth with 97.
Junior Laura Valaas and senior Sarah Hardee, running cross country for the first time for Whitman, placed 14th and 18th, respectively. Valaas and Hardee, veterans of Whitman’s Nordic ski teams, finished with times of 25:42.68 and 26:08.14.
”I think both Laura and Sarah ran cross country in high school, but that’s been a few years,” Christopherson said. “They ran well.”
Next in line for Whitman were senior Maureen FitzMaurice, who was 27th in 26:57.74, and sophomore Caitlin Kearney, also running for the first time collegiately, who was 37th in 27:36.89.
Also placing for the Whitman women were sophomore Emma Catmur, 38th, 28:06.27; senior Emily Johnson, 43rd, 29:31.46; senior Mary Ashby, 47th, 31:25.21; and freshman Colleen Smith, 50th, 33:20.14.
Dwello Zach, running for Northwest Nazarene, won the men’s race in 26:58.30, about 11 seconds in front of the runner-up, Lewis-Clark State’s Aaron Galbraith.
Whitman’s next-best finisher, after Flynn, was sophomore Elliot Brian, who was 21st in 28:19.10. Placing 23rd, 24th and 25th for Whitman were seniors Ryan Choi (29:36.72) and Pat Cade (29:37.05), followed by freshman Brian Woods (29:47.63).
”Elliot Brian ran a good, smart race,” Christopherson said. “That was good to see.”
Three more Whitman freshmen finished not far behind. Travis Dixon was 29th in 30:12.57, one spot in front of Eli Asch and his time of 30:15.70. Kevin Van-Meter placed 34th in 30:47.91.
Also placing for the Whitman men Saturday were sophomore Adam Kopet (39th, 31:27.86), freshman Loren Schmidt (48th, 34:39.71), and senior Miles Barrett (52nd, 36:29.49).
”It could be that Conor will be our No. 1 runner all season,” Christopherson said. “But after that, the order of our next seven finishers could change from race to race.”
Proving that last week’s race in Walla Walla was no fluke, Whitman’s Sierra Witnov outran all other Northwest Conference competitors, placing second overall in the women’s 6,000 meters in Saturday morning’s Lewis & Clark Invitational at Mclver Park near Estacada, Ore.
Witnov, a senior who missed her junior season while on foreign study, finished in 23 minutes and seven seconds -- 43 seconds better than her time last week when she placed second at the Whitman Invitational. Amy Bricco, running for NAIA Division I Oregon Institute of Technology, won the race in 22:58.
”Sierra ran really well and stayed with the lead pack the whole way,” Whitman coach Neal Christopherson said. “She beat some of the best runners in our conference today.”
In the men's 8,000 meters Saturday, Whitman senior Conor Flynn finished seventh in 27:02. ”Conor ran a strong front for us today, and our team worked well together,” Christopherson said.
In the team scoring, the Whitman women placed sixth in an eight-school field with 115 place points. Led by George Fox and its winning total of 71 points, NWC teams finished in the top four slots. Pacific Lutheran was in second with 80 points, followed by Linfield with 97 and Lewis & Clark with 103 points. Oregon Tech was next with 105 points, Whitman finished in front of Pacific’s 127 points and Western Baptist’s 222.
The Whitman men’s team finished in fourth place with 90 points, trailing three NWC schools. Lewis and Clark was first in team scoring with 43 points. George Fox was the runner-up, just four points back, while Linfield rounded out the top three with 59 points. Finishing behind Whitman was Oregon Tech (126), Pacific (136) and Western Baptist (200). Pacific Lutheran did not have enough runners in the men’s race to post a team score.
Senior Sarah Hardee, running cross country for the first time for Whitman, placed 19th in the women’s race with a time of 24:59. “It was good to see her run such a strong race,” Christopherson said.
Next in line for Whitman were senior Maureen FitzMaurice, who was 25th in 25:19 and finished strong despite a rolled ankle, and sophomores Emma Catmur, 30th in 25:49, and Caitlin Kearney, 48th in 26:59.
Also placing for the Whitman women were first-year runner Collen Smith, who finished 58th in 28:06, four minutes faster than her time last week. Right behind Smith were juniors Emily Johnson, 59th in 28:06, and Mary Ashby, who placed 65th.
“Overall, the women ran well as a team,” Christopherson said. “It’s encouraging to see. I think we are on pace for our team goals, and I think some of the women have better races in them down the road.”
In the men’s race, senior Ryan Choi had Whitman’s second-best performance, running a solid race in finishing 18th in 28:17. Three other Missionary runners finished under 28:30: senior Pat Cade, 21st, 28:20; freshman Eli Asch, 23rd, 28:26; and freshman Brian Woods, 25th, 28:29.
“It was good to have five guys under 28:30,” Christopherson said. “I was happy with the way we competed against conference opponents; the men’s team had a good day.”
Others running for the Whitman men included freshmen Kevin Van Meter (38th, 39:00) and Travis Dixon (41st, 29:19) and sophomore Elliott Bryan, who was Whitman’s No. 2 runner last week but struggled on Saturday, finishing 46th in 29:31. “Elliott just had an off day,” Christopherson said. “He couldn’t hang in there today.”
Whitman sophomore Adam Kopet finished placed 54th with a personal-best time of 30:17. Freshman Loren Schmidt was 60th in 31:03. Senior Miles Barrett finished 64th in 34:02.
Michael Choul of George Fox won the men’s race in 26:30.
Whitman competes next Saturday in the Sundodger Invitational at Lincoln Park in Seattle. The women will run in the 5,000 meters at 9 a.m. The men will run the 8,000 meters at 9:30 a.m.
Seniors Sierra Witnov and Conor Flynn were the top finishers for the Whitman cross country teams in the open races at the 13th Annual Sundodger Invitational Saturday morning at Seattle’s Lincoln Park.
Running in cool, wet conditions, Witnov placed 14th among 224 competitors in the women’s 5,000 meters, finishing in 18 minutes, 27 seconds. Flynn was 64th in the men’s 8,000 meters with a time of 26:48.
Witnov posted the top finish among runners from the five Northwest Conference schools entered in the open race. She enjoyed the same distinction in each of her two previous races. Witnov’s nearest NWC competitor on Saturday was Pacific Lutheran’s Ashley Jamieson, who placed 19th in 18:42.
“Sierra has now beaten runners from every other Northwest Conference school except Willamette,” Whitman coach Neal Christopherson.
Willamette, the defending NWC champion in both men’s and women’s cross country, competed Saturday in the Sundodger’s invitational races, which are geared primarily toward runners from larger schools as well as elite unattached runners. The Bearcats placed fourth in the women’s team scoring and sixth in the men’s team standings.
Whitman last competed in the Sundodger’s open races two years ago, when Witnov and Flynn were also Whitman’s top runners. Witnov placed 24th in the 2002 event with a time of 18:41, while Flynn was 116th in 27:15.
“Conor’s time today was a very good early season time for him,” Christopherson said. “His 26:48 is only 10 to 12 seconds off his personal best time. It’s exciting to see Conor running so close to his best time at such an early point in the season.”
Julia Howard, running for Simon Fraser University, and Brandon Reiff, running unattached, won Saturday’s two open races. Howard’s time was 17:55, while Reiff finished the men’s race in 24:38. Whitworth’s Doug Blackburn and Puget Sound’s Frank Prince were the top NWC finishers in the men’s open, placing seventh and eighth, respectively, with times of 25:17 and 25:18.
Sarah Hardee, a senior running her first season of cross country, had Whitman’s next best finish in the women’s race. She was 99th overall in 20:15. “Sarah continues to look stronger and stronger, week by week,” Christopherson said.
Next in line for Whitman were senior Mo FitzMaurice, who was 127th in 20:43, followed by sophomores Emma Catmur in 20:52 and Caitlin Kearney in 21:15. “That was a personal best time for Emma, and Caitlin continues to close the gap in time between herself and Emma,” Christopherson said.
Others placing for the Whitman women were senior Mary Ashby, 185th in 22:07; senior Emily Johnson, 196th in 22:33; and first-year runner Colleen Smith, 206th in 23:03.
In the men’s race, senior Ryan Choi finished second among the Whitman runners, placing placing 111th overall in 27:41. “That’s a faster time than Ryan ran all of last season,” Christopherson said. “That was good to see.”
Next for Whitman were senior Patrick Cade and freshman Elias Asch, who placed 135th and 136th, respectively. Both were timed in 28:07.
Three freshmen rounded out Whitman’s top seven. Kevin Van Meter was 162nd in 28:30, followed by Brian Woods, 175th in 28.44, and Travis Dixon, 178th in 28.47. “This was Kevin’s strongest race of the season,” Christopherson said. “He’s starting to realize more of his potential.”
Sophomore Adam Kopet finished 204th with a time of 29:24, a personal-best time by 50 seconds. Others running for Whitman were sophomore Brian Elliot, 213th, 29:57; freshman Loren Schmidt, 227th, 31:10; senior Miles Barrett, 235th, 33:20; and freshman Robert Marcotte, overcoming a knee injury to place 238th in 33:44.
In the team scoring, the Whitman men placed 15th. Eastern Oregon finished first in the men's team scoring.
Simon Fraser was first in the women's team scoring. The Missionary women placed 16th.
The Sundodger Invitational, hosted by the University of Washington, has become an fixture on the Northwest distance running schedule. The Lincoln Park course is located 10 minutes from downtown Seattle.
Running in Saturday's college races at the huge Charles Bowles Cross Country Invitational, hosted by Willamette University in Salem, Ore., Sierra Witnov and Conor Flynn posted the top performances for the Whitman cross country teams.
Witnov, a senior, finished 23rd among 271 runners in the women's 5,000 meters. Flynn, also a senior, was 76th among 261 racers in the men's 8,000 meters.
Runners from NAIA and NCAA Div. II/III schools competed in Saturday's college races. The men's and women's open races, held separately for NCAA Div. I schools and elite club teams, drew an additional 400 runners.
"It wasn't our strongest day of the season, but we did okay," Whitman coach Neal Christopherson said. "We had a number of people run their personal-best times."
Under sunny skies and temperatures warming into the 70s, Witnov finished her 5,000 meters in 18:23.83. "That was a personal best for Sierra at that distance," Christopherson said. "She ran a good, strong race."
Witnov had the fifth-best time among Northwest Conference runners. Willamette's Danya Rumore topped all NWC runners, placing third overall in 17:36.82. Kristina Rody, running for the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada), won the race in 17:15.38.
Flynn also ran a personal-best time in the men's 8,000, hitting the finish line in 26:14.06. "It was just another strong race for Conor," Christopherson said.
Flynn had the 15th-best time among NWC runners. Willamette's Aaron Hollingshead had the best conference time and finish, placing fourth overall in 24:24.30. Eastern Oregon's Eric Griffiths won the race in 24:09.55.
In the women's race, senior Sarah Hardee placed 148th for Whitman in 20:24.32. Next in line for the Missionary women were sophomore Emma Catmur, 168th, 20:45.44; senior Mo FitzMaurice, 181st, 20:59.98; and sophomore Caitlin Kearney, 198th, 21:23.22.
"That was a personal-best time for Emma," Christopher said. "It's good to see her getting stronger with each race. Mo FitzMaurice didn't have her best race today, but she's been sick.
Also running for the Whitman women were senior Mary Ashby, 221st, 21:59.30; senior Emily Johnson, 234th, 22:37.13; and first-year runner Colleen Smith, 259th, 24:23.80. "Mary also ran a personal-best time today -- about 20 seconds faster than her last race," Christopherson said. "Emily's time also was quite a bit faster than her last race."
In the men's race, running No. 2 for Whitman was senior Ryan Choi, who placed 169th in 27:41.95. Four freshmen were next to the line for Whitman: Kevin Van Meter, 191st, 28:10.53; Brian Woods, 202nd, 28:30.46; Travis Dixon, 223rd, 29:11.77; and Eli Asch, 225th, 29:17.87.
"Kevin was 28 seconds faster than his last race," Christopherson said. "I think he's going to continue to improve and get stronger over the next month."
Whitman sophomore Sam Clark made his season debut, placing 230th in 29:31.25. "Sam was ill this summer and is only now feeling strong enough to start racing," Christopherson said.
Sophomores Adam Kopet and Elliot Brian finished 232nd and 237nd, respectively, in times of 29:33.48 and 29:57.02. Freshman Robert Marcotte placed 251st in 31:00.14, while senior Miles Barrett was 258th in 33:33.29.
Both Whitman teams were missing two of their stronger runners in junior Laura Valaas and senior Pat Cade.
In the team scoring, the women's team placed 24th among 31 teams with 601 points. The Missionary men finished with 698 points, placing 27th among 29 schools.
Whitman has one race remaining -- the Big Foot Open in Spokane on Oct. 16 -- before the NWC Championships on Saturday, Oct. 30, in Spokane.
Sierra Witnov won the women's race and Conor Flynn placed 8th in the men's event as the Whitman cross country teams competed Saturday in the Bigfoot Open, hosted by the Community Colleges of Spokane.
Witnov, a senior, won the women's 5,000 meters in 18:50, beating Whitworth's Kristi Dickey by eight seconds. The races were Whitman's last competition before the Northwest Conference Championshiops, which take place in two weeks on a different course in Spokane.
"Sierra was probably 20 meters behind midway through her race, but then she came back to win by about that same margin," Whitman cross country coach Neal Christopherson said. "It's exciting to see her running so well. This was her first-ever victory in a college race."
Flynn, also a senior, finished the men's 8,000 meters in 26:51. Mark Currell, running for the Community Colleges of Spokane, won the race in 25:21.
"Conor actually had to stop and tie his shoe in the middle of the race," Christopherson said. "That probably cost him 15 to 20 seconds. Had he not had to do that, he might have placed as high as fifth or sixth. Conor continues to look strong as we get ready for the conference championships."
Laura Valaas, a Whitman junior, finished 16th in the women's race in 20:24. "It was great to have Laura running with us again," Christopherson said. "This was her first race since the Whitman Invitational."
Rounding out Whitman's top five among the women were senior Sarah Hardee, 28th, 20:45; sophomore Emma Catmur, 36th, 21:12; and sophomore Caitlin Kearney, 38th, 21:29. "That was a good race for Caitlin," Christopherson said. "Compared to the last few races, she closed the gap a little bit between her and Emma."
Others running for the Whitman women were senior Mary Ashby, 47th, 22:32; senior Emily Johnson , 56th, 23:22; and first-year runner Colleen Smith, 63rd,24:42. Maureen FitzMaurice, a senior, missed Saturday's race due to illness.
"Overall, the women's team looks good heading to the conference meet," Christopherson said. "I think the women are ready to have a good day at conference."
In the men's race, freshmen Kevin Van Meter and Eli Asch placed 29th and 33rd, respectively, with times of 28:23 and 28:34. Sophomore Sam Clark was right behind in 36th place in 28:44.
"After missing the first races of the season, Sam is on the comeback trail," Christopherson said. "He's looking much stronger. It'll be exciting to see how he does at conference."
Next in line for Whitman were freshman Travis Dixon, 44th, 29:22; sophomore Elliott Brian, 49th, 29:52; and freshman Brian Woods, 50th, 29:57. Also running were sophomore Adam Kopet, 57th, 30:50; freshman Robert Marcotte, 63rd, 32:17; and senior Miles Barrett, 69th, 33:22.
"Because we can only take 10 men to the conference championships, this was probably the last college race for Miles, and he ran well," Christopherson said. "His time was about 10 seconds faster than his time two weeks ago at Willamette, and the course today was much slower."
Senior Ryan Choi missed the men's race Saturday because of illness. Pat Cade, also a senior, tested a sore hamstring by running the first mile of the race. "Pat said it felt much better today, so hopefully he'll be ready to go in two weeks," Christopherson said. "We're feeling optimistic about how the men's team will do."
In the men's team scoring Saturday, Whitman placed fourth among seven teams with 111 points. Whitworth was first with 35 points, two points in front of the Community Colleges of Spokane. The Skinny Raven club team was third with 80 points.
In the women's team scoring, Whitman was fifth with 96 points, just three points behind the Community Colleges of Spokane. Whitworth was first with 27 points, followed by the Bloomsday Running Club with 68 and Central Washington with 76.
Sierra Witnov placed 11th in the women's race and Conor Flynn finished 15th in the men's event as the Whitman cross country teams competed in the Northwest Conference Championships Saturday at the Wandermere Golf Course in Spokane, Wash. Both Whitman teams placed seventh among the nine competing schools.
Witnov, a senior, ran the 6,000 meters in 22:14.50, earning Second Team All-NWC honors. Flynn, also a senior, just missed second-team honors in the 8,000 meters, placing 15th in 26:59.30. Runners placing from eighth through 14th made the second team, while the top seven in each race took home first-team honors.
"Placing 11th at conference isn't bad, but we had expected Sierra to place higher," Whitman coach Neal Christopherson said. "For whatever reason, she didn't feel like she had much energy today. All we can do is chalk it up to an off day. She doesn't have too many of those."
Witnov, who missed her junior season while studying abroad, placed fourth at the NWC Championships two years ago as a sophomore. Flynn finished 26th at last year's championships and 28th two years ago.
"It's too bad Conor missed all-conference honors by one spot, but he had a good race today," Christopherson said. "He finished ahead of several runners who had beaten him earlier in the season. He was the third runner not on the top two teams."
Pacific University freshman Sarah Smith won the women's race in 21:25.80, beating George Fox freshman Anna McLain by almost 16 seconds. Pacific Lutheran sophomore Bethany DeVilbiss was one second back in third place.
In the men's race, Willamette University senior Aaron Hollingshead was the winner in 25:39.70, about nine seconds in front of Whitworth junior Doug Blackburn. Puget Sound junior Frank Prince was another 10 seconds off the pace in third place.
The Willamette men's team won its fourth consecutive NWC title, and it did so in dominating fashion, filling seven of the top 10 spots. The Bearcat men took first with 23 points, well ahead of second-place Puget Sound (52) and third-place Whitworth (99). The Whitman men placed seventh with 185 points, nine points behind sixth-place Linfield.
Placing four runners in the top nine, the Willamette women scored 36 points to capture their third straight NWC title. Whitworth with 81 points and Puget Sound with 93 were well back in the next two spots. The Whitman women had a seventh-place total of 176 points, 26 points behind sixth-place Pacific.
Junior Laura Valaas and senior Sarah Hardee, both running their first season of college cross country, placed 32nd and 35th, respectively, for Whitman. Valaas was timed in 23:14.70, while Hardee was clocked in 23:17.50. "Both Laura and Sarah ran good races," Christopherson said. "Sarah was well behind Laura early in the race, but she kept passing people as the race continued."
Rounding out the top five for Whitman were sophomore Emma Catmur, who placed 61st in 24:50.00, and senior Mo Fitzmaurice, who was 64th in 24:59.10. "Both Emma and Mo did about as well as could be expected, given their medical conditions," Christopherson said. Catmur has been slowed by tight hamstring and back muscles, while FitzMaurice has battled mild anemia in recent weeks.
After straining a calf muscle early in the race, sophomore Caitlin Kearney finished 72nd in 26:15.00. Also running for Whitman were seniors Mary Ashby and Emily Johnson, who placed 74th and 78th, respectively, in times of 26:28.10 and 28:37.90. Johnson, who has battled a hip injury for more than a month, managed to finish the race, even though her status for the start was uncertain. First-year runner Colleen Smith rounded out the women's contingent, placing 79th in 28:59.10.
In the men's race, sophomore Sam Clark had Whitman's next-best finish, placing 43rd in 28:44.30. "That was a great race for Sam," Christopherson. Senior Pat Cade was a few strides back in 45th place with a time of 28:49.00. Two freshmen completed the Missionary top five: Eli Asch, who was 48th in 28:54.00; and Brian Woods, who was 53rd in 29:09.50. "Sam, Pat and Eli all ran in a good solid pack, and Brian wasn't far behind."
Two more Whitman freshmen, Travis Dixon and Kevin Van Meter, placed 63rd and 64th, respectively, in 29:41.60 and 29:44.70. Senior Ryan Choi was 72nd in 30:28.10, followed by sophomores Elliot Brian (75th, 30:45.20) and Adam Kopet (76th, 30:48.40).
Next up for the Whitman teams is the NCAA Div. III West Region race, slated for Saturday, Nov. 13, in Chino, Calif. Christopherson plans to take five women and five men.
Two years ago, Witnov qualified for nationals by placing fourth at the west region race. This year, the top two women's teams at regionals will advance to nationals, along with the top seven individuals not on the top two teams.
"If Sierra has even a slightly better race at regionals, she will have a good shot at qualifying for nationals," Christopherson said.
The top two men's teams at regionals also advance to nationals, along with the top four individuals not on the top two teams.
Whitman senior Sierra Witnov returned to familiar territory and enjoyed familiar results at Saturday's NCAA Div. III West Region Cross Country Meet at Prado Park in Chino, Calif. Witnov placed fourth in the women's 6,000 meters -- matching her placement two years ago in the same event on the same course -- to qualify for the NCAA National Championships.
Witnov, who struggled through an off day two weeks ago in placing 11th at the Northwest Conference Championships, ran Saturday's race in 23:01.20, about seven seconds behind third-place Bethany DeVilbiss of Pacific Lutheran. "Sarah ran a very strong race," Whitman coach Neal Christopherson said. "She ran with the lead pack all through race. There wasn't much separation until the last mile."
NWC runners dominated the women's event, sweeping the top five places. Pacific's Sarah Smith led the way, winning the race in 22:26.80, about 11 seconds in front of the runner-up, Whitworth's Kristi Dickey.
In the men's 8,000 meters Saturday, Whitman senior Conon Flynn was slowed by a side cramp midway through the race, placing 28th in 27:08.80. "Had it not been for the cramp, I suspect Conor would have placed in the top 20."
To qualify for nationals, Witnov needed to place among the top seven individuals not on the top two teams. By placing fourth overall, she easily made the cut.
Willamette University was first and Colorado College second in the women's team scoring with 43 and 53 points, respectively. Those two schools will send entire teams to the national championships, to be hosted next Saturday by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
With two runners injured and two more unable to run Saturday because of post-graduate tests, the Whitman women were unable to field a full team. "Had we had five women here today, I'm guessing we would have placed eighth or higher," Christopherson said. "The Lewis & Clark women finished eighth today, and we beat them two weeks ago at the conference championships."
The Whitman men's squad placed 10th in its team scoring with 297 points. The Willamette men were first with 59 points, followed closely by Colorado College with 69 and Puget Sound with 73. Willamette and Colorado advance their full teams to nationals.
Puget Sound's Frank Prince won the men's race with a time of 25:29.50, beating Colorado's Kiran Moorty by nearly two seconds.
Others running for the Whitman men included sophomore Sam Clark, who placed 50th in 28:10.30, and freshman Eli Asch, who was 64th in 28:54.20. "That was a great race for Sam, who missed the first part of the season because of illness," Christopherson said. "Sam came on strong the past month or so. This also was a good, solid race for Eli."
Rounding out the Whitman men's contingent were seniors Ryan Choi and Pat Cade, who placed 79th and 80th, respectively, with times of 29:51.20 and 29:58.60, and freshman Kevin Van Meter, who was 84th in 30:23.10.
In the women's race, Whitman junior Laura Valaas finished 45th in 24:40.80. Valaas, who ran cross country for the first time this fall, "finished her first season with a good race," Christopherson said. Sophomore Emma Catmur placed 78th in 26:19.80. Senior Mary Ashby, also running her first season of cross country, was 101st in 28:33.10.
With temperatures ranging from 55 to 65, Saturday's races were run on a course that was wet, muddy and slow, Christopherson said. "The course slowed the times way down, from top to bottom."
Competing against a huge field of runners at the national championships two years ago, Witnov placed 100th. She missed her junior season while studying abroad.
Running against a cold wind and 215 competitors, Whitman senior Sierra Witnov placed 105th in the NCAA Div. III Women's Cross Country Championships Saturday afternoon at the Whitetail Golf Course near Colfax, Wisc.
"It wasn't a great day for Sierra, but it wasn't a bad day either," Whitman coach Neal Christopherson said. "For her, it was just an average race."
Temperatures at race time were in the low 40s, and with the wind blowing at about 15 miles per hour, the conditions were less than ideal for Witnov, Christopherson said. "Sierra doesn't like cold weather, and she doesn't seem to run well in it. I don't know if it's mental or physical, but the weather probably had a negative affect on her today, for one reason or another."
Among runners from the Northwest Conference, Witnov had Saturday's ninth best time, finishing the 6,000-meter course in 23:21.6. A week ago, running at the NCAA Div. III West Regionals in Chino, Calif., where temperatures were about 20 degrees warmer, Witnov ran the NWC's fourth best time. Witnov is from Santa Barbara, Calif.
Missy Buttry, a senior from Wartburg College, captured her third consecutive national title in Saturday's race, posting a winning time of 20:22.0. Liz Woodworth, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, was 24 seconds back in second place. Both runners competed last summer in the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Saturday's race was Witnov's second trip to the NCAA Div. III championships. Two years ago as a sophomore, she placed 100th in a field with about the same number of runners. She missed her junior season while studying abroad.
Kari Holbert, a senior at Willamette University, posted Saturday's top finish for the NWC, placing 34th in 22:23.5. Sarah Smith, a freshman at Pacific, was 39th in 22:29.6. Next in line from the NWC were Whitworth's Kristi Dickey, a junior at Whitworth who placed 56th, and Sarah Zerzan, a freshman at Willamette who was 60th. A week ago at regionals, Witnov finished behind Smith and Dickey, but ahead of Holbert and Zerzan.
In the women's team scoring, Williams College was first with 110 points, followed by Middlebury College with 129 and Washington University with 149. Willamette, the only NWC school to qualify a full women's team, placed ninth with 285 points.
Women's results