Weekly Release #9
11/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Upcoming Schedule
Monday, Nov. 20 -- at NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.), Noon
This Week: NCAA Championships
The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's cross country team travels to Terre Haute, Ind., attempting to win its first national team championship at the NCAA Championships on Monday (Nov. 20). The 6,000-meter meet at will be held at the Lavern Gibson Championship Course, located at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center. The women's race is scheduled to begin at Noon.
U-M's best national finish was second in 1994; the only Wolverine in history to be crowned Individual NCAA Champion was Katie McGregor in 1998.
The Wolverines running at the NCAA Championships are: Freshman Eileen Creutz (Saline, Mich./Saline), junior/sophomore Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey), fifth-year senior Arianne Field (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett), senior/junior Laura Glynn (Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison), junior Alyson Kohlmeier (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patrick's), junior/sophomore Claire Otwell (Traverse City, Mich./Central) and senior/junior Erin Webster (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child).
Of the seven U-M runners making the trip, four ran in the championship last year; Edwards took 72nd, Field placed 145th, Kohlmeier came in 59th, and Webster took 172nd.
Thirty-one teams are selected to participate in the championship. The top two seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the nine regions, for a total of 18 teams. Thirteen additional teams were selected at-large. Thirty-eight individuals, the first four from each region whose teams did not advance to the championships race, and two additional qualifiers, were selected to participate in each championship. All individual qualifiers must finish in the top 25 in their region.
The following teams automatically qualified for the championships by winning or placing runner-up at their regional (national ranking): Arkansas (2), Baylor (30), Boston College (16), Colorado (6), Duke (12), Florida (23), Georgetown (18), Georgia (15), Illinois (5), Iona (19), Michigan State (4), Minnesota (9), North Carolina State (3), Princeton (14), Stanford (1), Texas Tech. (13), UC Santa Barbara (7) and Wisconsin (8).
The following teams earned at-large bids to the championship based on season performance and out of region wins: Arizona State (11), Brigham Young (17), Colorado State (22), Florida State (29), Iowa (24), Michigan (10), North Carolina, Providence (21), Tennessee (25), Virginia (27), Virginia Tech (20), Wake Forrest and Weber State (26).
Last Time at the NCAA Championships
Behind the All-America performance of senior Rebecca Walter, the University of Michigan women's cross country team earned its second straight sixth-place finish (250 points) at the NCAA Championships last season. Walter earned All-America honors for the third time in her career, leading the Wolverines across the finish line in 27th place.
Last Week: NCAA Great Lakes Regional
The Wolverines ran to a third-place team finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Saturday (Nov. 11) at the Forrest Creason Golf Course in Bowling Green, Ohio. The Wolverines were led by a first place finish by Nicole Edwards. All five Michigan scorers were able to finish in the top 28 spots in the 209 runner field.
Nicole Edwards Wins Great Lakes Regional Individual Title
Nicole Edwards led the University of Michigan women's cross country team across the finish line as she took first place overall with a time of 20:50.91. Edwards became Michigan's fifth individual regional champion, joining Molly McClimon (1993), Elizabeth Kampfe (1997), Katie McGregor (1998) and Rebecca Walter (2004).
Three Wolverines Selected to All-Regional Team
Nicole Edwards, Arianne Field and Erin Webster were selected to the All-Regional team for their performances at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. To be considered for the All Region team, athletes must finish in the top 25 of their region and meet NCAA Division I USTFCCA requirements.
Michigan won its fifth consecutive Big Ten championship on Oct. 29, at the Indiana Cross Country Championship Course. Erin Webster and Alyson Kohlmeier ran to a 1-2 finish, earning All-Big Ten first team citations for the second time in each of their careers. Nicole Edwards earned her second straight All-Big Ten second team honor for finishing ninth.
Erin Webster Wins Big Ten Individual Title, Big Ten Athlete of the Year
Erin Webster won the Big Ten individual title in a Big Ten 6,000-meter record time of 20:23. Michigan's sixth Big Ten champion crossed the finish line 10 seconds faster than the conference's previous top time of 20:33, set by Michigan State's Danette Doetzel in 2004.
Webster was named Big Ten Athlete of the Year for women's cross country after winning the Big Ten individual title, which capped an incredible season. Webster ran to victories in four of the five races she participated in this season.
Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree -- Arianne Field
Arianne Field was honored with the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, after the Big Ten Championship, for her ethical behavior and good sportsmanship during competition, as well as maintaining good academic standing and demonstrating good citizenship outside of the competition setting. Field is now eligible for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, which is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the school year.
Big Ten Coach of the Year
Head coach Mike McGuire was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by his fellow conference coaches after leading Michigan to its fifth-straight Big Ten title. McGuire has earned the honor eight times in his career, including the last five straight seasons.
Big Ten Runners of the Week
Erin Webster was named Big Ten Conference Runner of the Week twice this season. Webster received the honors after her winning performance at the Indiana Open (Sept. 9) and for her fourth-place finish at the NCAA Pre-Nationals (Oct. 14). Junior/sophomore Natasha Luppov (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) also won the award after her performance at the EMU Classic (Oct. 20).
USTFCCCA Division I Women's Poll (11/13/06)
Rank, Team 1. Stanford 389 2. Arkansas 372 3. North Carolina State 366 4. Michigan State 334 5. Illinois 319 6. Colorado 315 7. UC Santa Barbara 308 8. Wisconsin 306.5 9. Minnesota 285.5 10. MICHIGAN 276 11. Arizona State 259 12. Duke 246 13. Texas Tech 226 14. Princeton 225 15. Georgia 205 16. Boston College 189 17. BYU 182 18. Georgetown 148 19. Iona 142 20. Virginia Tech 129 21. Providence 127 22. Colorado State 125 23. Florida 114 24. Iowa 101 25. Tennessee 70 26. Weber State 63 27. Virginia 58 28. Butler 41 29. Florida State 37 30. Baylor 25Leaders and Best in Academics
The 2005 Michigan women's cross country team earned the 2005-06 Leaders and Best Award, given to the U-M varsity team with the highest grade point average. It's the fourth year in a row that coach Mike McGuire's squad has received the honor.
The Mike McGuire File
Mike McGuire is in his 15th season as a head coach for the Michigan women's cross country team. Michigan has just won its fifth straight Big Ten championship under McGuire. For his accomplishments, he received Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for the eighth time, his fifth straight (2002-06) following a three-peat from 1992-94. In his first four seasons, McGuire won three consecutive Big Ten and NCAA District IV team championships, and the Wolverines finished as high as second (1994) at the NCAA Championships. McGuire's teams have 14 top-two finishes in 15 seasons at the Big Ten Championships and 10 top-two finishes at the regional championships, winning the regional meet in 1993, '94, '95, 2004, and '05. His teams have finished among the nation's top 10 seven times at the NCAA Championships. McGuire has helped 49 cross country and track athletes earn All-America honors, and has coached six Big Ten individual champions and five Big Ten freshmen of the year.
Contact: Tim Trunzo (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
