JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Grinnell College cross country teams will be looking for big things when they compete in the 2017 Midwest Conference Championships Saturday.
Grinnell's men have won 19 of the past 20 crowns and 29 of the last 31, dating back to 1986. The Pioneers, who are ranked 10th in the Central Region, will be challenged by sixth-ranked Cornell College.
John Lennon '19,
Jackson Schulte '20,
Pieter Hansen '19 and
Gray Krewson '19 all earned All-MWC honors last season, with Lennon collecting runner-up honors at the championship meet.
Entering this year's meet, all four plus
Stewart Bass '18,
Matthew Phipps '20,
Matt Lieberman '21 and
Lucas Chamberland '20 are ranked in the top 20.
On the women's side, Grinnell enters the meet among the favorites with a No. 8 ranking in the Central Region. St. Norbert College is rated seventh in the Midwest Region.
Grinnell has won two of the past four MWC team titles and eight in the past 13 years.
Emma Luhmann '18 is a three-time All-MWC honoree, while
Emma Zimmerman '18 has been recognized twice. Others earning All-MWC honors last year were
Anna Ahrens '19 and
Tori LaVerdiere '20.
Zimmerman and
Cara Keleher '21 are ranked second and third entering Saturday. Others in the top 20 are Ahrens,
Mikayla Fujiwara '20,
Madeleine Breunig '20 and
Ally Cottrell '21.
The men's race is slated for 11 a.m., with the women following at noon.
