Michigan
NCAA Championships
Wolverines Take Sixth Place at NCAA Championships
11/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Site: Terre Haute, Ind. (LaVern Gibson Championship Course)
Meet: NCAA Championships (6,000 meters)
U-M Finish: 6th Place of 31 Teams (246)
Top U-M Individual: Rebecca Walter, 35th (21:11.4)
Next Meet: Season Completed
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan women's cross country team, led by junior Rebecca Walter's (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves) 35th-place finish (21:11.4), took sixth place at the NCAA Championships with 246 points Monday afternoon (Nov. 22) at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course. Walter earned All-America honors for the second-straight season in the process, while the Wolverines recorded their second consecutive top-10 performance.
From the gun Providence's Kim Smith immediately cut to the front of the pack -- where she would stay for the entirety of the race -- while the rest of the field remained bunched together through the first mile. Walter and freshman Alyson Kohlmeier (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patrick's HS) ran together among the top 50 runners, staying within striking distance of the lead chasers.
As soggy and muddy conditions considerably slowed the pace of the 6,000-meter race, the field began to string out at the halfway point with Walter remaining near the back of the first chase group when the field came through for the second loop of the course. The Wolverine junior attempted to make her move at the 4,000-meter mark but ended up falling back several positions and could never gain the necessary ground to cut the distance between herself and the front of the pack.
A trio of Wolverines scored in their NCAA Championships debut as Kohlmeier, senior/junior Theresa Feldkamp (Lorain, Ohio/Amherst Steele HS) and junior/sophomore Arianne Field (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett Catholic Central HS) earned 50th-, 68th- and 103rd-place finishes, respectively. Kohlmeier was the second Wolverine runner across the line, coming in just several seconds behind Walter, registering a time of 21:21.0.
Starting further back among the pack, Feldkamp and Field continually surged through the 248-person field before both using a strong kick to pass several down the final stretch. After scoring as the fourth and fifth U-M runner across the line in the Wolverines' previous two events, Feldkamp improved to the third spot with a time of 21:37.4, while Field rounded out the U-M top five -- and scored for the first time this season -- as she clocked a time of 21:58.3 to finish just 47 seconds behind Walter.
Junior/sophomore Katie Erdman (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac HS) claimed 94th place as Michigan's fourth runner across the line with a time of 21:52.3, improving her position over last season's NCAA Championships by 26 spots.
Colorado captured the team title with 63 points, followed by runner-up Duke (144), third-place Providence (164), Notre Dame (170) and Stanford (175).
Top 10 Teams
1. Colorado 63 2. Duke 144 3. Providence 164 4. Notre Dame 170 5. Stanford 175 6. MICHIGAN 246 7. Villanova 277 8. Brigham Young 293 9. Arizona State 333 10. North Carolina 336
Top Five Individuals
1. Kim Smith, Providence 20:08.5 2. Renee Metevier, Colorado 20:26.4 3. Carolyn Bierbaum, Columbia 20:30.7 4. Laura Turner, BYU 20:37.5 5. Maureen Mccandless, Pittsburgh 20:38.2
Michigan Individuals
35. Rebecca Walter 21:11.4 (25) 50. Alyson Kohlmeier 21:21.0 (36) 68. Theresa Feldkamp 21:37.4 (46) 94. Katie Erdman 21:52.3 (65) 103. Arianne Field 21:58.3 (74) 135. Lisa Canty 22:16.5 (103) 236. Andrea Parker 23:40.4 (199)
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Mike McGuire
On the team's performance ... "We were a little bit off form relative to our showing at regionals where all seven runners fired on all cylinders. It's disappointing when you measure this team's result against last season's trophy team, but sixth place is nothing to sneeze at. It wasn't a horrible race by any means, and we're proud of what we accomplished this season."
On individual results ... "Rebecca (Walter) didn't finish as well as she'd have liked to but she still ran an excellent race. Alyson (Kohlmeier) had another strong showing, but I was especially proud of Theresa (Feldkamp) and Arianne (Field), who each had one of the strongest races of their careers. I thought they both ran very, very well. There are some positives that we'll take out of here today, and that's what we want to focus on."
N O T E S
• Junior Rebecca Walter took 35th place, and earned NCAA All-America honors for the second straight year. Walter is one of seven Wolverines to earn All-America honors more than once. Molly McClimon (1990-93) is Michigan's only three-time NCAA All-American.
• Senior/junior Theresa Feldkamp placed 68th in one of her best performances of the season. Feldkamp did not participate in the 2003 NCAA Championships.
• Michigan finishes the season as the sixth best team in the nation. Michigan placed fourth last year at the NCAA Championships.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
