KVAL Coverage:
http://www.kval.com/sports/local/Northwest-Christian-XC-finishes-best-season-in-history-134189188.html?tab=video&c=y
VANCOUVER, Wash. – They were third at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships, but they were the top team in the CCC when it counted as the Northwest Christian University women's cross country team took fourth place on Saturday in the NAIA National Championship.
Senior stalwarts
Brittany Petersen and
Stephanie Hescock led the charge for the Beacons as each runner claimed NAIA All-American honors for their top-30 performances. Peterson took 16th place, running an 18:09 for the fifth-fastest time in school history. It was also the best place and time ever for a Beacon at the NAIA National Championship. Hescock came in close behind in 20th place, running an 18:14. The senior ends her Cross Country career with a new personal record.
Also setting a personal record at 18:55 to finish 52nd was freshman Emily Svendsen-McLean. Freshman
Ally Manley followed in 60th place, running a 19:02. The final scoring runner was sophomore
Ashley Kinney who hit 19:19 for an 83rd-place finish.
Also running for the Beacons were freshman
Heidi Gori in 156th (19:50) and junior
Sierra Schorer Noll in 161st (19:51).
Head Coach
Heike McNeil said, “Going in we knew that if everyone just had a good race we would make the top-ten. Instead everyone went out and had a great race and we were able to land in the top-five.
Brittany Petersen and Emily Svenden-McLean ran completely out of their heads and I couldn't be any prouder of this team.”
Cal State San Marcos won their third consecutive NAIA Championship with a score of 82 points. Top-ranked Azusa Pacific, in their final year of membership in the NAIA before heading to NCAA Division II, took second place with 91 points. Third place went to the University of British Columbia, who squeezed out a one-point lead on the Beacons. UBC scored 171 with NCU following at 172. The Beacons in turn held a 20-point lead on fifth-place Friends University of Kansas.
Among the Cascade Collegiate Conference, College of Idaho took seventh (216) and Concordia was eighth (232). Eastern Oregon's Karlee Coffey, the 2010 national runner-up, took third place this season with a time of 17:42. The meet was won by Grand View –Iowa's Obsie Birru.
