Michigan
NCAA Great Lakes Regional
Edwards Is Regional Champion, Team Finishes Third
11/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Site: Bowling Green, Ohio (Forrest Creason Golf Course)
Meet: NCAA Great Lakes Regional (6,000 Meters)
U-M Finish: 3rd Place of 30 Teams (89)
Top U-M Individual: Nicole Edwards, 1st (20:50.91)
Next Meet: Monday, Nov. 20 -- NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.), Noon
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Junior/sophomore Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey) led the third-ranked University of Michigan women's cross country team to a third-place team finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Saturday (Nov. 11) at the Forrest Creason Golf Course. Edwards took first place overall (20:50.91) to become Michigan's fifth individual regional champion, joining Molly McClimon (1993), Elizabeth Kampfe (1997), Katie McGregor (1998) and Rebecca Walter (2004).
In sloppy weather conditions, the Wolverines were able to place their five scoring harriers in the top 28 spots overall in a field of 209 runners. Following her Big Ten individual championship, junior Erin Webster (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) was the second Wolverine to cross the finish line, placing 15th overall with a time of 21:45.25. Fifth-year senior Arianne Field (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett) was just five seconds behind to take 18th place (21:50.26).
Helping the Michigan scorers to stay in a tight pack, junior/sophomore Claire Otwell (Traverse City, Mich./Central) and senior/junior Laura Glynn (Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison), who crossed the finish line at virtually the same time, finished 27th (22:02.56) and 28th (22:02.81) respectively.
Junior Alyson Kohlmeier (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patricks), the 2006 Big Ten runner-up, finished 63rd overall with a mark of 22:42.20.
The third-place team finish marked the first time since the 2001 season that the Wolverines did not finish in at least first or second at the NCAA Regional.
Only the top two teams at the regional receive automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, but the Wolverines, one of the top teams in the nation all year long, are nearly assured an at-large bid with their third-place finish. The at-large bids will be announced at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 12).
The NCAA Championships will be held Monday, Nov. 20, in Terre Haute, Ind. The 6,000-meter women's race will start around noon at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course.
Women's Team Standings (Top 10)
1. Michigan State 63 2. Wisconsin 66 3. MICHIGAN 89 4. Butler 111 5. Notre Dame 116 6. Marquette 155 7. Indiana 159 8. Ohio 221 9. Valparaiso 343 10. Bowling Green State 356
Top Individuals
1. NICOLE EDWARDS, U-M 20:50.91 2. Alissa McKaig, Michigan State 21:00.26 3. Laura Rolf, Valparaiso 21:00.79 4. Hanna Grinaker, Wisconsin 21:01.50 5. Jessica Gall, Indiana 21:03.26 6. Sunni Olding, Notre Dame 21:03.50 7. Michelle Rafferty, Michigan State 21:03.59 8. Katrina Rundhaug, Wisconsin 21:07.53 9. A'Havahla Haynes, Wisconsin 21:11.50 10. Lindsay Hattendorf, Indiana 21:12.16
Other Michigan Individuals
15. Erin Webster 21:45.25 18. Arianne Field 21:50.26 27. Claire Otwell 22:02.56 28. Laura Glynn 22:02.81 63. Alyson Kohlmeier 22:44.20 67. Eileen Creutz 22:51.48
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Cross Country Coach Mike McGuire
On today's meet ... "It wasn't one of our better days. We had some good things that we got done but at the same time, we were definitely off of form with Erin (Webster) and Alyson (Kohlmeier), and that really hurt. I thought Nicole (Edwards) had a great race and I thought that Laura Glynn had a very good race. I though we were really solid with (Arianne) Field and (Claire) Otwell. If we can get Alyson and Erin back to form next week and run the way we did with everybody else we'll be fine."
U-M Junior/Sophomore Nicole Edwards
On her win today ... "I'm excited, I didn't consider that winning would be an option for me before the race. It felt really great, like in the middle 3k or 4k I was doing really well and I was in the front so I thought maybe I could go for it. I just felt really good till the end."
On Nationals next week ... "I'm excited for Nationals; it's going to be a great race. I didn't do that great last year, so I'm obviously hoping to do better. I like the new course, so I'm excited for myself and our team. I think our team will have a better day than today. So it should be fun and a great end to the season."
Contact: Tim Trunzo (734) 763-4423
