2014 Championship Meet Preview
MIAC women's cross country preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC office
Click here for the complete MIAC women's cross country preview
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- In recent years, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Women's Cross Country Championships have been both highly competitive and entertaining. With four nationally-ranked teams headlining another deep, talented field, the 2014 edition should be equally captivating when the teams take to the starting line Saturday at Como Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn.
Not only does Carleton return its 2013 MIAC championship team intact, but Head Coach Donna Ricks and her squad boast a No. 14 national ranking and the No. 1 ranking in the Central Region. The Knights return all seven runners from last season's 18th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships and have high hopes to successfully defend their MIAC title, but the competition once again will be stiff.
Carleton's cross-town rival - St. Olaf - was the runner-up a year ago, just 18 points behind the Knights (51-69), and the Oles enter the 2014 MIAC meet with hopes of knocking off their Northfield, Minn., neighbors. St. Olaf is ranked No. 18 in the nation and No. 2 in the region. Both No. 22-ranked Saint Benedict and No. 24-ranked St. Thomas are also ranked in the top four in the region, with the Blazers ranked third and the Tommies at No. 4, and they also hope to be in the championship mix on Saturday. CSB was third a year ago with 115 points, while St. Thomas was seventh (181).
Macalester and Gustavus share the No. 7 ranking in the Central Region to give the MIAC six of the region's top eight teams, and with all on display Saturday at Como Golf Course, the women's race should be particularly entertaining. The Scots were one of the major surprises a year ago, running to a fourth-place finish (136) and Gustavus was fifth in 2013 (155) and is just two years removed from winning the MIAC title.
Hamline finished sixth a year ago - just four points out of the top five with a score of 159, and the Pipers also hope for a strong MIAC showing. Bethel (211) was in eighth last season, St. Catherine (233) was ninth and Concordia (252) took the final spot in the top 10, while Saint Mary's (272) and Augsburg (301) rounded out the 2013 standings.
The Knights' hopes to repeat are bolstered by six runners that earned conference honors a year ago. Colette Celichowski, Winona Rachel and Ruth Steinke finished 5-6-7 a year ago to earn All-MIAC honors, and Kazia Mermel (15th) joined them on the All-MIAC squad. Shira Kaufman (18th) and Laura Nakasaka (23rd) received All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors as well in 2013. This year, Steinke has twice been named MIAC Women's Cross Country Athlete-of-the-Week and Celichowski earned the honor once to continue to fuel the Knights' optimism this fall.
St. Olaf also has a host of talent back, though defending MIAC individual champion Noelle Olson has not competed in recent weeks and likely will not run Saturday. However, teammate Jorden Johnson was the runner-up to Olson a year ago, and returns as one of the individual favorites. The Oles also have high hopes for sophomore Jamie Hoornaert and senior Amy Waananen as they try to run down their rivals.
Saint Benedict hopes for another top-three finish behind the return of All-Conference runner Manon Gammon-Deering and Honorable Mention performer Jenna O'Donnell, along with the addition of talented first-year runner Brooke Rasmussen. St. Thomas hopes to improve on last year's seventh-place finish thanks to the return of 2012 All-American Erin Statz, who missed the 2013 season with an injury, and has earned the MIAC's Athlete-of-the-Week award twice this fall. In addition, the Tommies return all seven of its scorers from a year ago and are excited about newcomer Alex Fossum and track All-American Kayla Goeman.
Macalester could be in line for more success after last year's fourth-place finish with star Kimber Meyer back to lead the way. Meyer has also won the MIAC Athlete-of-the-Week award twice this season, and she'll team up with Mira Ensley-Feld and Sarah Jonanthan to lead the Scots. 2012 MIAC champion Gustavus brings back All-Conference performer Caitlin Fermoyle and talented junior Marit Sonnesyn to help the team as it tries to regain its championship pedigree.
Hamline graduated most of its sixth-place lineup from a year ago, so it will count on senoir Andrea Haus to continue leading the way, with talented rookies Alyssa Nash and Mariah Gallagher hopeful for impressive MIAC debuts. Bethel will also be led by a promising first-year runner, as Annika Halverson has had a strong rookie season and won 2014's first MIAC Athlete-of-the-Week honor. Seniors Rebecca Wesley and Melody Walton provide leadership and depth for the Royals. St. Catherine will be without injured All-MIAC runner Aliee Larson, but the Wildcats hope to continue their ascent up the standings behind rookie Mariah Stout, sophomore Shannon Strickland and senior Jenna McElroy.
Concordia also has a young, talented nucleus, as sophomore Kaya Baker and first-year Sarah Curran have led the Cobbers throughout the fall season. Saint Mary's star Katie Stolz is back after earning All-MIAC, All-Region and MIAC Elite 22 honors in 2013, and she'll be joined by juniors Allie Thiel and Clare Siska atop the Cardinals lineup. Augsburg senior Kayla Roberge and sophomore Taybri Irving have been the team's top two runners all season, and team up with junior Mary Cornelius to try and help the Auggies improve on last season's finish.
The men's 8K championship race will begin Saturday's meet at 2:15 p.m. and the women's 6k race will follow at 3:15 p.m. Once the results are tabulated and deemed final, a short awards ceremony will follow the conclusion of the men's race on the hillside near the clubhouse. The top 15 runners in each race will be honored as All-Conference selections, with runners finishing in places 16-to-25 receiving All-Conference Honorable Mention. The two team champions will also be honored and awarded their championship plaque.
Spectators are encouraged to attend the event and admission is free. All spectators are reminded to stay out of the runners' way on the course, and no dogs, bikes or artificial noisemakers are allowed on the course.
The MIAC has a home page for the event, which will be the first place to find results, recaps, photos and more online following the conclusion of the championships. The page also includes course maps for both the men's and women's races, directions to Como Park Golf Course and other helpful links.
Carleton College is serving as the host institution for this year's championship and athletic training services will be provided by MIAC partner Twin Cities Orthopedic. Bethel University will again be collecting used athletic shoes to be redistributed to those in need through the Soles4Souls organization. There will be a collection bin at the MIAC Championships. There will also be a very limited number of MIAC Cross Country Championship shirts available for purchase in the clubhouse.