News Release Date:
Saturday, October 31

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The Whitman College women's cross country team came ever so close to winning a Northwest Conference title Saturday morning, placing second by six place points to Whitworth University.

The conference meet, taking place at McIver Park near Estacada, Ore., ended with Whitworth taking the women's team title with 37 place points for its top five finishers. Whitman was the runner-up with 43 points while Linfield was a distant third with 83 points.

Kristen Ballinger

Other team scores were Lewis & Clark 105, Willamette 112, Pacific Lutheran 161, Puget Sound 169, and Pacific 215.

"All of our women ran quite well," Whitman coach Malcolm Dunn said. "We had five runners in the top 12 and eight runners in the top 26. We were definitely had the deepest talent of any of the teams. It just so happened that Whitworth's top runners finished a little higher than our top runners."

Linfield's Marci Klimek won the 6,000-meter race with a time of 21:50.80. Two Whitworth runners finished second and third while Whitman junior Kristen Ballinger was fourth in 22:26.30.

Yasmeen Colis

Four seniors rounded out Whitman's top-five team score. Yasmeen Colis was seventh (22:34.90), Sara McCune ninth (22:48.40), Heather O'Moore 11th (22:59.70) and Michela Corcorran 12th (23:05.40).

As part of the race's top seven finishers, Ballinger and Colis earned spots on the All-NWC First Team. McCune, O'Moore and Corcorran nabbed second-team honors.

"There was less than 40 seconds separating our top five," Dunn noted. "We ran as a very tight pack. It's a testament to the strength of our team."

Sara McCune

Emilie Gilbert, a first-year Missionary, paced the second Missionary five. She was 19th in 23:26.00. Sophomore Sary Levy and senior Emily Rodriguez were next in line, placing 23rd and 26th, respectively, with times of 23:26.90 and 23:45.20.

Also running for Whitman were sophomore Jennifer Farley (37th, 24:22.90) and first-year Missionary Katri Gilbert (44th, 24:44.00).

Heather O'Moore

Eight of the 10 Missionary runners had made previous appearances at the NWC championships, and all eight posted their best-ever finishes. 

"We were pleased with how all of the women ran today, but Hearther O'Moore and our two Saras, McCune and Levy, had great races compared to our last race at Pugete Sound two weeks ago," Dunn said. 

Michela Corcorran

McCune, Colis and Corcorran also ran well despite recent battles with illness, Dunn said. "Yasmeen, Sara, and Michela all recovered in time to have some great races, but I'm hopeful that they'll be even stronger when 100 percent healthy."  

Whitman now turns its training toward the NCAA Division III West Regional, slated for Saturday, Nov. 14, on the Pomona-Pitzer campus in Claremont, Calif. That race will decide automatic team and individual berths for the national championships.

"The women are excited and looking forward to another two weeks of training in preparation for regionals," Dunn said.

Each team can enter seven runners in the regional race.

Complete race results

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CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
509 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu