Four WU Women's XC Runners Earn All-Midwest Region Honors

MEN'S RESULTS | WOMEN'S RESULTS

Rock Island, Ill., November 15, 2008 – The No. 9 Washington University women’s cross country team finished in third place, while the WU men’s team grabbed 10th place, at the 2008 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championships, held at the Saukie Golf Course, in Rock Island, Ill., on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The Washington U. women’s team placed just nine points out of first place in the competitive meet. The Bears had won three-straight NCAA Midwest Region titles heading into Saturday’s action. No. 5 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire took the 2008 regional crown, earning the top spot with 108 team points. No. 7 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse was the runner-up with 115 points, edging the ninth-ranked Bears by just two points.

Washington U. finished ahead of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, who entered the week ranked No. 6 in the country, but they finished fifth at the Midwest Regional Championships.

UW-Eau Claire and UW-La Crosse automatically qualify for the 2008 NCAA Championship meet, held Nov. 22, in Hanover, Ind., via their top-two finish at the regional championships. Washington University, which has competed in the last four NCAA Division III Championships and seven in school history, will learn if they qualify for an at-large berth into this year’s meet on Sunday, Nov. 16. The Bears ran to a school-record third-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Championships in Northfield, Minn.

Four runners earned NCAA All-Midwest Region recognition in Saturday’s action. Sophomore Taryn Surtees was the top finisher for the Red and Green, coming in fifth overall with a time of 21:52.6 on the 6K course. Washington University had three student-athletes place in the top-20 overall. Freshman Elizabeth Phillips came in 12th place with a time of 22:21.9, and junior Molly Schlamb was the 20th finisher, submitting a time of 22:40.8.

Also earning All-Midwest Region honors for Washington U. was junior Hope Rathnam, whose time of 22:59.0 was good for 32nd place overall. Rounding out the scorers for the Red and Green’s women’s squad was senior Angela Hartman, who was the 48th-place finisher with a time of 23:15.5.

No. 2 North Central College won the men’s Midwest Regional meet with 51 points, while the Washington U. men’s team tallied 292 team points. The top finisher for the Red and Green was sophomore Dave Spandorfer, who placed 41st overall, finishing the 8K course with a time of 25:49.6.

Placing 54th for the Washington University men’s team was senior Nick Silverman, who posted a time of 26:08.4. Junior Alex Bearden came in 58th place, submitting a time of 26:11.1, freshman Tucker Hartley grabbed the 62nd spot, posting a time of 26:16.2, and junior Matt Kruger rounded out the Washington U. scorers with a 77th-place finish and a time of 26:38.9.