2016 MIAC 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. --- It's already been an exciting fall for women's cross country in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), with three teams appearing in the national polls and five of the top 10 in the Central Region, and it's only going to get better as they all come together Saturday at 11 a.m. at Como Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn., to determine the 2016 MIAC women's cross country champion.
The latest edition of the MIAC Championships features Carleton College aiming for a fourth-straight conference championship. Head Coach Donna Ricks' squad has not only won three conference championships in a row, they've been the champ in five of the last seven seasons, with only St. Olaf (2010) and Gustavus (2012) interrupting the Knights' streak.
A year ago, women's race saw the Knights (61) complete their three-peat with a nine-point win over St. Thomas (72). St. Olaf (97) was third, Saint Benedict (107) finished fourth, and Macalester (129) grabbed the final spot in the top five. Gustavus (150) was sixth, Concordia (192) took seventh, and Bethel (244), Augsburg (261) and Hamline (273) completed the top 10. St. Catherine (275) and Saint Mary's (365) occupied the final two spots in the women's 2015 MIAC standings.
This year, the Knights again have high hopes of hoisting the MIAC championship trophy, evidenced by their No. 25 national ranking and top spot in the Central Region poll. St. Thomas – which edged Carleton for the NCAA Region title a year ago – checks in at No. 29 nationally and No. 3 in the region, and St. Olaf is tied for No. 34 in the national poll and tied for fourth in the Central Region. Macalester (No. 7) and St. Catherine (No. 9) give the MIAC five of the top nine in the Central Region rankings, and Saint Benedict has also been regionally ranked this fall.
Individually, Macalester's Kimber Meyer returns to defend her MIAC title and complete an impressive career. The All-American has finished in the top four in each of her first three seasons, finishing fourth in her first year, second as a sophomore and first in 2015, with All-Conference honors in all three seasons. The Scots' star leads a talented returning group of eight All-Conference and six HM runners back on the women's side.
Defending MIAC champ Carleton brings back All-MIAC runners Emily Kaegi and Sam Schnirring and senior Claire Trujillo has been the team's No. 2 runner all fall. St. Thomas hopes to repeat its region success behind the return of All-Conference runner Bridget McGivern and HM honorees Alex Fossum and Kayla Janto. St. Olaf has Jamie Hoornaert (All-MIAC) back, received a boost from transfer Mary Naas and are also led by senior Josefine Brekke.
Saint Benedict returns All-MIAC Honorable Mention runner Mattia Hendrickson alongside senior Allison Kosobud and newcomer Taylor Loth. Concordia has a pair of decorated runners back as Kaya Baker earned All-MIAC honors and Brianna Gruenberg was an Honorable Mention performer, and junior Sarah Curran has also had a strong fall. Augsburg will again be led by Taybri Irving, who earned All-MIAC honors in 2015, and junior Rachel Frantz and first-year runner Malena Larsen also join the Auggies' top three.
Sadie Novak-Klug returns to lead Gustavus after the Gusties graduated their top two runners, and she's joined atop the lineup by Lotus Schifsky and Olivia Rosenow. Bethel's Annika Halverson, second last year, is studying abroad, but the Royals' young core is led by sophomore Madeline Cramer, junior Emmy Inwards and first-year Abigail Burr.
Hamline has sophomores Madeline Dopp and Meg Griffin atop its lineup, along with junior Alyssa Nash. St. Catherine has everyone back, including top MIAC finisher Courntey Kirkeide, along with senior Rachel Hall and first-year Leighlin Ahlstrom. Saint Mary's has high hopes for its extremely young nucleus, led by rookies Alyssa Thiel and Danielle Franke, and sophomore Erika Thiel.
The 2016 MIAC Cross Country Championships will start earlier than in past years. The women's 6k championship race will begin Saturday's meet at 11 a.m. and the men's 8k race will follow at 12 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.
Concordia MIAC Meet Preview
Head coach
• Marv Roeske (18th season)
A Year Ago
• 7th place | 192 points
In the 2015 Postseason
• Finished 14th at the NCAA Central Region Meet and Kaya Baker earned All-Region honors.
Players to Watch
• Kaya Baker (Sr. | 2015 MIAC All-Conference & All-Central Region; has been in the Top 3 of the team in four of the five meets she raced in 2016)
• Sarah Curran (Jr. | Finished second at the Cobber Invite; led the team in three of the six meets in 2016 )
• Brianna Gruenberg (So. | 2015 MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention; won the Crown Invite in 2016; has been in the Top 3 of the team in all six meets this year)
Did You Know?
• Concordia has two sets of sisters on this year's team.