From Washington University Athletics
Rock Island, Ill., Nov. 16, 2013 – Junior Lucy Cheadle became the first NCAA Division III Midwest Regional cross country individual champion in Washington University in St. Louis school history as she led the WUSTL women to a third-place finish Saturday morning at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, Ill. The Washington U. men clinched an automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships by finishing second at the Midwest Regional.
The Washington U. women had four runners place in the top-30, and all seven in the top-75, of the field of 282 runners as the Bears scored 114 points to finish third in the team standings. University of Chicago won the women's team title with 60 points, while University of Wisconsin-La Crosse placed second with 101. Cheadle won the women's individual title by nearly six seconds over runner-up Emma Gilbertson of Wheaton College (Ill.). She is the first-ever individual champion, men's or women's, for Washington U. at the Midwest Regional Championships.
Sophomore Ellen Toennies (15th), freshman Sarah Curci (17th), senior Lizzy Handschy (29th) and senior Kathleen Valadez (58th) all recorded season-best times at the 6K distance to round out the Bears' scoring. Toennies shaved about 16 seconds off her previous personal-best 6K time, while Handschy's time was nearly 43 seconds faster than her career-best. Cheadle, Toennies, Curci and Handschy each earned All-Region honors by finishing in the top-35 individually.
WUSTL RESULTS
WOMEN – 6K – 282 runners
1. Lucy Cheadle – 21:31.4
15. Ellen Toennies – 22:18.1
17. Sarah Curci – 22:21.6
29. Lizzy Handschy – 22:42.7
58. Kathleen Valadez – 23:17.2
70. Elizabeth Worley – 23:25.5
73. Annie Marggraff – 23:28.0