Cross Country Teams Wait For NCAA Bid

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Nine seconds separated Amanda Weaver (left) and Lauren Kettle at the finish line. Photograph by Penny Smith.OBERLIN, Ohio – The Albion College cross country program will have to endure a waiting period to find out if it has qualified its men's team or certain individuals for the NCAA Division III Championships. The championship field is scheduled to be released at 3 p.m. Eastern Time Sunday, Nov. 13 on www.ncaa.com. 

Sophomore Paul Lewis (Albion) was the 14th runner to cross the finish line, but nearly a minute separated him and No. 2 runner Mitchell Klingler (Coldwater/Bronson) as the Britons finished fifth out of a field of 35 teams.

“It was a good day, but we didn’t have the great day we needed to put ourselves in an outstanding spot to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championship meet,” Albion Coach Hayden Smith said.

Running at a pace of 5:07.5 per mile, Lewis completed the course in 25:28.38. Klingler was the 48th runner to reach the finish at 26:23.25.

Albion’s second, third, fourth, and fifth runners were separated by just five seconds. Evan Smallman (Milford), Matt Melvin (Bangor), and Drew Fuentes (Grand Junction/Bangor) completed Albion’s top five.

First-year runner Lauren Kettle (Milford) and junior Amanda Weaver (Marshall) finished 16th and 22nd, respectively, in the women’s race to earn all-region awards and lead Albion to a 10th-place finish out of 35 teams. Kettle reached the finish line in 22:16.63, with Weaver nine seconds behind.

First-year runners Rachel Derocher (White Lake/Holly) and Victoria Sochor (Portland) and junior Amanda Miley (Redford/Redford Union) rounded out Albion’s top five.

Related Links
Men's Results
Women's Results