WUSTL’s Elizabeth Phillips Named Women’s Elite 89 Winner at 2011 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships

Winneconne, Wis., November 18, 2011 — Washington University in St. Louis senior Elizabeth Phillips was recognized as the Women’s Cross Country Elite 89 winner at the 2011 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship banquet on Friday, Nov. 18, in Winneconne, Wis.

Phillips became the first-ever three-time winner of the Elite 89 award, after receiving the Division III women’s indoor track & field award in 2009 and 2010. She carries a 4.0 GPA while majoring in biomedical engineering. Phillips finished third individually at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship last weekend to help the Washington University women’s team capture the Regional Championship and an automatic bid to this weekend’s NCAA Championship.

The NCAA founded the Elite 89 award in 2009 to recognize the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 89 championships.

Washington University now has had seven Elite 89 award winners, the most in NCAA Division III. In addition to Phillips (three times), women’s basketball player Dani Hoover (2010-11), women’s golfer Melanie Walsh (2010-11), women’s basketball player Zoe Unruh (2009-10), and men’s tennis player Isaac Stein (2009-10) also received the honor for the Bears.

The 2011 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday, Nov. 19, in Winneconne, Wis.