2008 Woodie Awards
Cross-country; Runners fall to biggest rivals
By: Tiffany Kleekamp
Issue date: 11/3/05 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
Head coach Chris Bunch predicted the cross-country team would finish third in conference and he was right. Except it wasn't quite what he had in mind.
Six teams in Webster's conference competed in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Championship at Greenville College Oct. 29, but only three teams qualified in the team race, leaving Webster third of three teams.
Greenville topped the race and Principia College came in a distant second. Blackburn College, Maryville University and Fontbonne University didn't have the five runners needed to qualify in the team race, but still competed at the individual level.
Bunch said Webster would have finished ahead of Blackburn and Fontbonne if they had run.
One reason Principia beat Webster is because its fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh runners have improved over the course of the year, Bunch said. Maryville's runners got first, second and 14th place, which meant they had three all-conference runners.
All-conference means the runner was ranked in the top 14 positions at the conference race. The top seven are considered first-team and runners eight through 14 are second-team.
Two Webster runners finished second-team, freshman Chrysti Walters and Senior Prisca Rice.
As for the individual race, Walters placed 11th with a 26:27 6K run, Rice, 12th, with 26:30, freshman Kari Neulist, 21st, with 28:21, senior Linda Golden, 28th, with 29:06, freshman Chelsea Zotta, 29th, with 30:14 and senior Jesse Hesse, 35th, with 36:47.
Although Webster finished at the bottom this season, the team's three strongest runners, all freshmen, will return next season: Walters, Zotta and Neulist.
The team had four senior runners, Rice, Golden, Lori Sherrill and Hesse. Bunch said he appreciates them for sticking out the season, working hard and helping the team have a good year.
Six teams in Webster's conference competed in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Championship at Greenville College Oct. 29, but only three teams qualified in the team race, leaving Webster third of three teams.
Greenville topped the race and Principia College came in a distant second. Blackburn College, Maryville University and Fontbonne University didn't have the five runners needed to qualify in the team race, but still competed at the individual level.
Bunch said Webster would have finished ahead of Blackburn and Fontbonne if they had run.
One reason Principia beat Webster is because its fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh runners have improved over the course of the year, Bunch said. Maryville's runners got first, second and 14th place, which meant they had three all-conference runners.
All-conference means the runner was ranked in the top 14 positions at the conference race. The top seven are considered first-team and runners eight through 14 are second-team.
Two Webster runners finished second-team, freshman Chrysti Walters and Senior Prisca Rice.
As for the individual race, Walters placed 11th with a 26:27 6K run, Rice, 12th, with 26:30, freshman Kari Neulist, 21st, with 28:21, senior Linda Golden, 28th, with 29:06, freshman Chelsea Zotta, 29th, with 30:14 and senior Jesse Hesse, 35th, with 36:47.
Although Webster finished at the bottom this season, the team's three strongest runners, all freshmen, will return next season: Walters, Zotta and Neulist.
The team had four senior runners, Rice, Golden, Lori Sherrill and Hesse. Bunch said he appreciates them for sticking out the season, working hard and helping the team have a good year.