Walter, Allen-Young Pace Michigan to Fourth at NCAAs
11/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Site: Waterloo, Iowa (Irv Warren Golf Course)
Meet: NCAA Championships (6,000 Meters)
U-M Finish: 4th Place of 31 Teams (232)
Top U-M Individual: Rebecca Walter, 18th (20:24.9)
Next Meet: Season Completed
WATERLOO, Iowa -- The No. 6 University of Michigan women's cross country team improved its national ranking by two spots Monday afternoon (Nov. 24), as the Wolverines finished fourth at the NCAA Championships with a total score of 232 at Irv Warren Cross Country Course. Leading the way for the Maize and Blue were sophomore Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves HS) and graduate/senior Jessie Allen-Young (Loveland, Colo./Thompson Valley HS), who each earned All-America status, finishing 18th and 26th, respectively on the 6,000-meter course.
Stanford claimed the team title as the Cardinal posted a low score of 120 points, while North Carolina's Shalane Flanagan defended her NCAA individual title with a time of 19:30.4.
Walter earned her first NCAA All-America citation when she crossed the finish line in 18th place with a personal-best performace of 20:24.9. The 2003 Big Ten Athlete of the Year was able to jump in with the lead pack off the start line and was able to continue to build momentum and carry the Wolverines to their best finish since 1994. Walter's time bettered her previous best for a 6,000-meter race by 14 seconds as her old mark stood at 20:38.6, which she set last Saturday (Nov. 22) at the NCAA Regional meet.
Running in her final collegiate cross country event, Allen-Young posted a career-best time of 20:33.2 to finish 26th overall. Much like Walter, Allen-Young sprinted to the front of the field and was able to battle the chilly temperatures to finish in the top 30 and earn the first NCAA All-America honor of her career.
Sarah Pizzo (Golden, Colo./Mullen HS) turned in the best performance of her career, as she was the third Michigan harrier across the finish line. The junior clocked in at 20:54.3 for 52nd place, which was a 162-place improvement from last year, when she finished 214th at the NCAA Championships.
It marked the first time since 1995 the Wolverines put three runnners in the top 52. In 1995 Pauline Arnill (1994-95), Michelle Slater (1995, '97-98) and Katie McGregor (1995-98) finished 23rd, 35th and 39th, respectively.
Michigan's other two scoring competitors to cross finish line were senior Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Howell HS) and sophomore/freshman Katie Erdman (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac HS). Gallo, running in her final cross country race in the Maize and Blue, posted a time of 21:05.5 for 75th place. It marked her best finish of her career at the national championship race, as her previous best was 108th, which she turned in last year in Terre Haute, Ind.
In her first NCAA Cross Country Championships, Erdman crossed the finish line in a 120th place as she completed the course in 21:21.7.
Michigan's final two competitors were senior/junior team captain Andrea Parker (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) and junior Ana Gjesdal (La Crescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS). Parker finished 192nd in 21:57.7, while Gjesdal placed 222nd in 22:20.5.
Top 10 Teams
1. Stanford 120 2. Brigham Young 128 3. Providence 222 4. MICHIGAN 232 5. Colorado 269 6. North Carolina State 290 7. UCLA 293 8. North Carolina 294 9. Princeton 348 10. Notre Dame 352
Top 10 Individuals
1. Shalane Flanagan, North Carolina 19:30.4 2. Kim Smith, Providence 19:42.7 3. Sara Bei, Stanford 19:49.1 4. Michaela Mannova, Brigham Young 19:52.2 5. Mary Cullen, Providence 19:53.0 6. Alicia Craig, Stanford 19:55.0 7. Carol Henry, North Carolina 19:59.3 8. Emily Kroshus, Princeton 20:03.9 9. Ida Nilsson, Northern Arizona 20:05.5 10. Johanna Nilsson, Northern Arizona 20:07.0
Michigan Individual Finishes
18. Rebecca Walter 20:24.9 26. Jesse Allen-Young 20:33.2 52. Sarah Pizzo 20:54.3 75. Lindsey Gallo 21:05.5 120. Katie Erdman 21:21.7 192. Andrea Parker 21:57.7 222. Ana Gjesdal 22:20.5
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Mike McGuire
On his team's performance ... "I told them before the race that if we run the way they have ran the last three meets, I felt we had a shot at a trophy. We remained a constant and I think a couple people ranked ahead of us didn't have as good a day as they planned on having."
On Jessie Allen-Young ... "It's been a good experience the way she's had to go about doing it. It's a fitting award for the work that she put in all season."
On Rebecca Walter ... "She's definitely among the top young distance runners in America now. I just see her only getting better. She obviously has the physical tools and she has a tremendous mental makeup to her that's going to lend itself to her continuing to be an outstanding runner."
On the team's effort ... "I am really proud of them. These were extreme conditions that we were in today. It requires tremendous coping skills. It's easier to let the elements control you. I did not see any of that out there. Those kids were running with a lot of heart. It's even more rewarding when they are doing it on a day like this in these conditions. It is something to be very proud of for sure as a coach."
Sophomore Rebecca Walter
On the weather ... "Once you got started it was okay. I was not thinking about the cold too much. The most I was thinking about the cold was how it was probably hurting everybody else."
On running out of box one ... "It is a great thing because at Pre-Nationals we were caught really far back so we knew we had to get out really well. Lindsey (Gallo), Jessie (Allen-Young) and I ended up getting out about 20th, which is where we wanted to be."
On the team's accomplishments ... "We all take a lot of pride in this. When you look back at the beginning of the season when we were ranked 22nd and how we finished 10th at the NCAA Pre-Nationals, to finish fourth shows how far we came this year. We started our season setting goals and we accomplished our goals more than any other team I've seen. Every day when we come out for practice and went to work out knowing it's for Big Tens and NCAAs. We came through and did it today."
On her finish ... "I was hopeful for it. I knew that I could be top 20. I was just hoping I could put everything together and just go out and let everything go."
On Jessie Allen-Young ... "Jessie is amazing to have on the team. She's such a hard worker with such a good attitude. This is her last cross country race, so I knew that she wanted it really bad. The other thing that is great about her is she wants to do everything for the team even though it is her first year as a Wolverine. She embraces it like she has been here as long as everyone us. She sacrificed herself today and ran a great race for us."
Graduate/SeniorJessie Allen-Young
On the team's overall finish ... "It's been a fabulous season and this was a really wonderful way to finish it off."
On her last cross country season ... "It has just been a lot of fun overall. I came in knowing it was my last one. With the support of the team all the time it has been a great training environment. It was a really nice way to cap off my final year as a cross country runner."
On being an All-American ... "That has always been one of my goals, and to finally achieve that feels wonderful."
N O T E S
• Michigan's fourth-place team finish marked its best finish at the NCAA Championships since 1994 when the Wolverines placed second overall.
• Rebecca Walter and Jessie Allen-Young became the first Michigan All-Americans since Katie Jazwinski (1997-2000) accomplished the feat in 1999 and 2000.
• Walter's 18th-place finish was the best performance by a Wolverine at the NCAA Championships since Jazwinski placed 16th overall at the 2000 national championship meet.
• It marks the first time since 1997 two Wolverines earned NCAA All-America honors in the same season. Elizabeth Kampfe (1996-99) and Katie McGregor were the last two Michigan harriers to accomplish the feat.
• Three Wolverines shattered their personal-best clockings in a 6,000-meter race. Walter broke her personal-best time by 14 seconds as she clocked in at 20:24.9. Allen-Young lowered her time by nine seconds when she finished in 20:33.2, while Pizzo bettered her time by 22 seconds as she finished in 20:54.3.
Contact: Rich Retyi (734) 763-4423