Results
DAHINDA, Ill. – Grinnell College's women's cross country team, which has been enjoying a successful 2019 regular-season campaign, put a punctuation mark on it Saturday with a dominating performance at the 2019 Midwest Conference Championships.
Â
The Pioneers had five All-Conference performers, all finishing in the top 11, as they tallied a miniscule point total of 31 points. Monmouth College was a distant second with 57 points.
Â
The title was Grinnell's league-high 20th, with coach
Evelyn Freeman owning 18 of those in her final MWC meet before retirement. It also marked the first time Grinnell has won the crown since 2014.
Â
Mikayla Fujiwara '20 posted her highest MWC Championships finish ever, placing second in a field of 121 runners. She toured the 6-kilometer Oak Run Golf Course path in 24 minutes, 16.7 seconds. It marked the third time Fujiwara has earned All-MWC honors.
Â
Ally Cottrell '21 was close behind, placing third in 24:23.6. It was also her highest placing as she earned All-MWC recognition for the second time.
Â
Emma Schaefer '22 was next in line, running 24:43.6 to place sixth and earn All-MWC honors for the first time. Completing the scoring were
Madeleine Breunig '20, ninth in 24:59.7, and
Tori LaVerdiere '20, 11th in 25:01.5. Like Fujiwara, LaVerdiere is also All-MWC for the third time and Breunig is a first-time honoree. For Schaefer, Breunig and LaVerdiere, it marked their highest finish at the MWC meet.
Â
Other top finishers for Grinnell were
Rachel Bottum '23, 26th in 25:45.1, and
Cara Keleher '21, 30th in 25:53.7.
Â
The Pioneers travel to Waverly in two weeks for the NCAA Division III Regional Championships.
Â