PELLA, Iowa – The St. Thomas men’s and women’s cross country teams both failed to earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships – the top two teams in each region qualify – but ultimately received at-large bids to the 32-team NCAA Championships next weekend.
The St. Thomas men’s cross country team battled to a fifth place finish, while the women’s team finished third Saturday at the 2014 NCAA Division-III Cross Country Regionals. Women’s cross country coach Joe Sweeney said after the regionals that his group had a very strong chance to earn one of the 16 at-large team bids.
“It certainly looks like we’ll make it, I’m almost 99 percent sure,” Sweeney said. “We ran really well (Saturday) and have a great chance to be one of the first at-large teams selected.”
This year marked the 20th time the women’s team has advanced to nationals in Sweeney’s career at St. Thomas, but the first since 2008.
Each team’s spot in the championships would not have been possible without impressive individual performances in the regionals from runners on the seven-member teams.
In the 6,000-meter women’s race, the Tommies were without their third runner – junior Kate Mares missed the meet with an illness – but still featured four All-Region honorees. Senior Erin Statz finished seventh (21:45.7), sophomore Alex Fossum finished 22nd (22:39.8), senior Melissa Engstrom finished 30th (22:44.9) and sophomore Bridget McGivern finished 31st (22:49.5).
Fossum said the “total team effort” showed the Tommies’ depth.
“The top five runners count toward the team score, but we have a total team effort,” Fossum said. “Everyone counts, whether you’re the first runner or the 15th.”
Statz said she was happy with her performance that netted her a season-best time but added that she was more impressed with the team as a whole.
“It’s wonderful that all our hard work is paying off,” Statz said. “We know that we can all trust each other and rely on each other.”
St. Thomas had three runners honored as All-Region after the 8,000-meter men’s race. Sophomore Jacob Gerhartz finished 15th (25:20.0), junior Dylan Baumann finished 18th (25:28.6) and senior Robby Williams finished 30th (25:46.9).
Williams also highlighted his team’s depth.
“I’ve never been more proud of a group of guys. We put in the work and gave it our all,” Williams said. “Top to bottom, we ran very well.”
After the regionals, Gerhartz said advancing as individuals would still mark a major accomplishment, but added that everyone would prefer to go as a team.
“I’m sure everyone would rather see the whole team go. I know I would,” Gerhartz said. “We’re (running) for each other and pushing each other.”
Wilmington College (Ohio) and the Warren County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau will co-host the NCAA Championships at the Golf Center at King’s Island in Mason, Ohio on Nov. 22. The men’s race will start at 10 a.m., while the women will run at 11:30 a.m.
Tom Pitzen can be reached at pitz2014@stthomas.edu.