Women's Cross Country Finishes Season as NCAA Champs

Author: Chris Eberly Staff Writer

It was a balmy Saturday on the rolling greens of the Augustana College golf course in scenic Rockport, Ill. It was hot, very hot. It was humid, very humid. All of the necessary criteria for just one thing: Panther Country. It was here that the Middlebury Women's Cross-country team captured their second consecutive Division III national championship. The girls bested second place Williams College by a commanding score of 98 to 166.

Junior standout Michela Adrian led the pack coming in 10th overall with a personal best of 17:28. On Adrian's heels were underclassmen Jess Manzer '05 and Molly Yazwinski '04 coming in 13th and 23rd place, respectively. Manzer and Yazwinsky were closely followed by Sarah Logan '03, Kaitlin Gregg '03, Jess Johnston '02, and Karin Ericson '04.

The girls, who have been training since late June, are well deserving of the unrivaled glory of having won two straight national championships. When asked to comment, Jess Johnston remarked, "I'm so proud of everybody, and what's more, six of top seven are returning next year. Watch out, competition!"

Coach Terry Aldrich was ripe with glee after a charming photo shoot that featured a ridiculously large trophy. "The girls made a huge deposit this summer," he said. "In Illinois, it was time to go to the bank and make a withdrawal. And what a withdrawal it was. I couldn't be more pleased with the way the girls ran today."

The girls were greeted in Burlington Sunday night by a score of runners from the men's and women's team bearing tastefully decorated blue and white posters and ribbons aplenty. All in all, it was a great weekend to be a Panther.