Grand Valley State Finishes Second at the D-II National Championship; Seven Athletes Earn All-American Honors

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BAY CITY, Mich. -  Grand Valley State University finished second at the Division II Cross Country Championship on Saturday, November 21 held in Evansville, Ind. Katherine McCarthy led a group of five Lakers who finished in the top-30. Grand Valley State's score of 81 was just eight points behind first place Adams State. Adams State took home the team trophy with a score of 73 points. The individual champion was Jessica Pixler of Seattle Pacific, who finished the course in 20:22. This marked the eighth consecutive year that the GVSU women have claimed a trophy at the national championships.

McCarthy's time of 21:18 earned her 11th place, while Eileen Creutz was right behind in 12th with a time of 21:26. Lynsey Ardingo placed 13th with a time of 21:27, while Amy Kolin crossed the finish line in 18th with a time of 21:39 and Jessie Vickers placed 27th (21:57).

Ferris State University placed 11th at the event.  Leading the way for the Bulldogs was junior standout Tina Muir who finished 12th, first of all women GLIAC runners.

Concluding the meet, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced forty student-athletes from NCAA’s Division II as recipients of the 2009 USTFCCCA Cross Country All-American award. Award winners finished among the top 40. Seven GLIAC athletes earned the award. Leading the way was Ferris State University junior Tina Muir who finished 12th place with a time of 21:11.0.  Five Grand Valley State runners earned the All-America honors: Lynsey Ardingo, Eileen Cruetz, Amy Kolin, Katherine McCarthy, and Jessie Vickers.  Ashley Quick of Hillsdale College also earned the honors after placing 36th.

-----GLIAC Women's Cross Country Weekly Notes----- 

Ferris State Bulldogs

The Ferris State University women’s cross country team ran to a 11th-place team finish while tying for the second-highest finish in school history during the 2009 NCAA Division II National Championships held on Saturday (Nov. 21) in Evansville, Ind.The Bulldogs were led at the national championships by junior standout Tina Muir, who took 12th place overall for the second-straight year in earning All-America honors for the second consecutive campaign. Muir completed the 6K course in a time of 21:11.0. A total of 184 women’s runners took part in the national race with Seattle Pacific’s Jessica Pixler winning the individual title for the third year in a row as she was timed in 20:22.6 on the day. Muir, who was this year’s regional champion, had won all five of her races this season prior to the national championships.This year also represents only the fourth time in history the Bulldog women’s cross country team has qualified as a team for the national championships as last year’s berth was the program’s first appearance since 1987. Ferris claimed Great Lakes Regional crowns in both 1981 and 1987 to advance to the NCAA-II Championships where they placed eighth and 11th overall, respectively.

Grand Valley State Lakers

Grand Valley State finished second at the NCAA Division II National Championships last Saturday (Nov. 21) in Evansville, Ind. The Lakers had five-runner place in the top-30 and recorded a score of 81 points, just eight points behind first place Adams State. Katherine McCarthy (Marne, Mich.) led GVSU with an 11th place finish and a time of 21:18. Eileen Creutz (Saline, Mich.) finished right behind in 12th with a time of 21:26. Lynsey Ardingo (Muskegon, Mich.) placed 13th with a time of 21:27, while Amy Kolin (Ypsilanti, Mich.) crossed the finish line in 18th with a time of 21:39 and Jessie Vickers (Dexter, Mich.) placed 27th (21:57). McCarthy, Creutz, Ardingo, Kolin and Vickers all received All-American honors.