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The Mac Weekly

The Student News Site of Macalester College

The Mac Weekly

The Student News Site of Macalester College

The Mac Weekly

Women CC finishes in middle of MIAC

By Emily Dunn

After a season scattered with triumph and injury, the women’s cross-country team competed in the MIAC Championships last Saturday at Como Golf Course. As a whole the day was dotted with outstanding individual performances but in the end the women finished 6th out of 12 teams. St. Thomas won with 73 points followed by Carleton with 92, who has won the meet the past two years.

Finishing in the middle of the MIAC has been the norm for the team in the last five years. Last year, after placing 5th at MIAC, the women went on to qualify for Nationals.

On Saturday, Callie PaStarr ’07 led the Scots placing 4th in a field of 220 runners with a time of 23:27 over the hilly 6-kilometer course. Her finish was the team’s best since Koby Hagen ’06 won the race in 2003. Erin Lowery ’10 crossed the line second for Mac finishing in a time of 23:39. Lowery was the only first-year to finish in the top ten, becoming Mac’s first frosh All-MIAC runner since Carmen Hurd in 1996. This is the third year in a row that Mac has had multiple all-conference (top 15) runners.
“Our team is amazing, Saturday wasn’t quite what we all hoped for but we left hard work out on that course, I’m proud to be a part of this team,” Lowrey said.

Mac’s next top runners were Kim Wortman ’08 who crossed the line in 40th place (24:43). Anna Shamey ’07 and Elizabeth Nelson ’08 finished in a time of 25:07, 57th and 59th respectively. Rounding out the varisty team were Allie Woerpel ’07 (25:18) and Emily Dunn ’09 (25:38). These seven individuals will compete in the Regional Meet at St. Olaf next Saturday.
“At MIAC we didn’t race for ourselves, we ran for our each other,” co-captain Kate Lechner ’07 said.

Overall, the Scots have had an successful season. With a strong first-year class and an impressive group of leading seniors the women were able to battle injury and lack of depth. As gaps were closed throughout the season the Scots were able to place 2nd at the St. Olaf Invite on Sept. 16 as well as an impressive 8th out of 33 teams at the Loyola Invitational in Chicago on Sept. 30.

“This season was one of team-building. Our smaller team became incredibly close, more so than I’ve seen in past years,” Lechner said.

This year since the National qualifying field was expanded to 35 teams the Scots are hopeful for the Central Regional qualifier next Saturday.
“I’ve seen these women do great things, we all have it in us to go to Nationals, I’m very excited for next weekend,” Allie Woerpel ’07 said.

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