Washington U. Men’s Cross Country Finishes Fifth at NCAA Championships; Kevin Sparks and Lucy Cheadle Earn All-America Honors
RESULTS
Terre Haute, Ind., November 17, 2012 – Junior Kevin Sparks finished fourth individually to lead the Washington University in St. Louis men’s cross country team to a fifth-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships Saturday at the LaVern Gibson Course in Terre Haute, Ind. Sophomore Lucy Cheadle placed 21st overall to earn her second-straight All-America honors for the Washington U. women.
The Washington University men scored 226 points to finish fifth in the team standings, the second-highest finish in school history at the NCAA Championships. North Central College scored 167 points to win its third National Championship in the past four years. Calvin College and Haverford College tied for second with 188 points, while University of Wisconsin-La Crosse finished fourth with 190.
Sparks earned All-America honors with his fourth-place finish in the men’s 8K race with a time of 24:37. Tim Nelson of University of Wisconsin-Stout won the men’s individual championship with a time of 24:26.8 in the field of 280 runners. Sparks’ fourth-place showing is the highest individual finish in Washington University men’s cross country history, and made him just the third runner in school history to finish in the top-10.
Senior David Hamm placed 65th overall with a time of 25:26.9, while sophomore Garrett Patrick (25:28.8) followed in 67th. Sophomores Andrew Padgett (25:36.9) and Ryan Senci (25:37.1) followed in 86th and 87th, respectively. Junior Michael Ellenberger ran a career-best time of 25:59.1 to finish 144th, while junior Elliott Petterson rounded out the Washington U. lineup with a time of 26:11.7 to finish 172nd overall.
Cheadle, who qualified as an individual for the Washington U. women, finished the 6K race in 21:34.1 to place 21st overall and earn her second-career All-America honors. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Christy Cazzola won the women’s individual title in the field of 277 runners with a time of 20:53.3. Cheadle finished 20th at the NCAA Championships as a freshman, making her the seventh runner in Washington University women’s cross country history to repeat as an All-American.