Grinnell College's Dan Krauss '12 wrapped up a stellar 2009 cross country campaign by finishing 120th at the NCAA Division III National Championship Saturday at Highland Park Golf Course in Cleveland, Ohio.

Krauss ran the 8 kilometer race, which included 276 runners, in 26 minutes, 51.4 seconds. The men's individual champ was Ricky Flynn of Lynchburg, who finished in 25:09.8. North Central won the men's team title.

The women's team champ was Wisconsin-Eau Claire, while Wendy Pavlus of St. Lawrence was the women's individual champ.

Krauss qualified for the NCAA Championships after placing 13th at last week's regional meet at Oakland Acres Golf Course. Highlights from his season included a Midwest Conference individual title while leading the Pioneers to the team crown, and running the third-best time in program history when he recorded a clocking of 24:43.5 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational.
Men's Individual Results

Dan Krauss '12 of Grinnell College has been selected to compete in the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Championships on Nov. 21 at Highland Hills Golf Course in Highland, Ohio.

A total of 32 teams and 56 individuals, the first seven athletes from each region who were not a part of a qualifying team, were picked to participate in the national meet.

Krauss, who ranks among the fastest Pioneers in the history of the program, turned in an All-Central Region performance Saturday at Oakland Acres Golf Course. He finished 13th in the meet with a clocking of 25:26.3.

The national meet begins with the women's race at 10 a.m. Central time, followed by the men's race at 11 a.m.
National Meet Release

A trio of Grinnell College men's cross country runners earned All-Region honors Saturday with high finishes at the NCAA Division III Central Region Meet at Oakland Acres Golf Course.

Dan Krauss '12 (left) led the way for Grinnell, placing 13th in a time of 25 minutes, 26.3 seconds over the 8 kilometer course. Joining him in earning All-Region honors were Alex Reich '11 (center) and Noah DeLong '11 (right), who were 15th and 18th in 25:39.8 and 25:45.3, respectively. DeLong is a repeat All-Region honoree.

Rounding out Grinnell's list of scorers were David Montgomery '10, who was 44th in 26:32.6, and Shyam Deshpande '11, who was 57th in 26:43.4.

Grinnell was fifth in the team standing with 147 points. St. Thomas and Nebraska Wesleyan both scored 116 points, but St. Thomas was awarded the team title on the tie-breaker. The top two teams and seven individuals from non-qualifying teams earn automatic berths to the NCAA National Championships. At large-qualifiers will be determined Sunday.

The individual champ was Bethel's Dan Greeno, who finished in 24:49.0.

On the women's side, Hannah Colter '12 and Annie Tempest '12 led the way for Grinnell. Colter finished 62nd in 23:46.2 over the 6 kilometer course, while Tempest was 81st in 24:11.7. Rounding out Grinnell's scoring list were Maja Gamble '11 (86th in 24:14.6), Leah Russell '11 (108th in 24:43.8) and Rachel Whitfield '10 (113th in 24:55.1).

Grinnell was 17th as a team with 450 points. The champ was Carleton, which edged Nebraska Wesleyan 95-99. Bethel's Marie Borner was the individual champ on Saturday, winning in 21:15.4.
Men's Results

For the second year in a row, Grinnell College will serve host for the NCAA Division III Central Region Cross Country Meet. This year's event is slated for Saturday, Nov. 14, at Oakland Acres Golf Course five miles west of Grinnell.

The women's race is slated for 11 a.m. with the men to follow at noon. The top two teams automatically qualify for the NCAA National Meet, as do the top seven individuals from non-qualifying teams. Other teams will be considered for at-large national berths.

The meet features 10 teams listed in the national rankings, including Grinnell's men who are 30th. The other ranked men's teams are Nebraska Wesleyan at No. 18, Hamline at 26th and Luther at No. 35.

Nationally-ranked women's teams are Nebraska Wesleyan (14th), Carleton (16th), Wartburg (21st), Bethel (24th), St. Thomas (26th) and Luther (32nd).

"Grinnell College is once again pleased to host the NCAA Central Regional Championship Cross Country Meet," said Grinnell College men's cross country coach and meet director Will Freeman. "The Oakland Acres Golf Course has long been the home course for Grinnell, having been the site of six NCAA Regionals and two NCAA National Championships. This year's Central Regional looks to be exciting team battles for both men and women. We here at Grinnell give a big welcome to all athletes, coaches and families."

Following is a breakdown of the meet, both team-wise and individual, following the respective conference meets:

MEN'S RACE PREVIEW
TEAM
The number "13" was lucky for the Grinnell men's team, as the Pioneers claimed their 13th Midwest Conference title in a row in 2009. The Pioneers, ranked 32nd nationally entering the meet, easily out-distanced the field, beating runner-up Ripon 22-75.

Hamline edged St. Olaf for the team title in the MIAC, winning by a score of 61-66. St. Thomas, ranked 22nd nationally entering the meet, was third with 82 points, well ahead of fourth-place Augsburg's 97.

Luther had little trouble winning the Iowa Conference crown, scoring 28 points and beating runner-up Coe by 25 points. Cornell was third place, followed by Wartburg.

St. Scholastica won a close battle for the UMAC title, scoring 68 points to beat runner-up Martin Luther by seven. UM Morris was third with 78 points.

Nebraska Wesleyan is the lone GPAC entry in the regional, but is expected to make some noise after being ranked 20th earlier this month.

INDIVIDUAL
Grinnell's dominance at the Midwest Conference meet came by having the top three runners and four in the top five. Dan Krauss was the individual champ, followed by Noah DeLong and Alex Reich. David Montgomery placed fifth.

Dan Greeno of Bethel, last year's regional runner-up, was the runaway individual champ in the MIAC. He beat runner-up Ian Bauer of Hamline by 34 seconds. Ben Sathre of St. Thomas was a close third behind Bauer, while Jacob Marotz of St. Olaf and Wade Ekstrom of Macalester rounded out the top five.

Andrew Tobben of Cornell claimed the Iowa Conference title, beating runner-up Lane Moser of Coe by 10 seconds. Luther runners rounded out the top five in the form of Kyle Buck, Karl Larson and Drew Burmahl.

Daniel Bare of North Central was the UMAC individual champ, beating runner-up Nathan Loersch of Martin Luther by 11 seconds. Loren Milbrath of Martin Luther was third, followed by Nick Mangan of St. Scholastica and Matthew Behmer of Bethany Lutheran.

Logan Watley has been Nebraska Wesleyan's top runner this season. The GPAC meet was run after the printing deadline for this program.

WOMEN'S RACE PREVIEW
TEAM
After having its string of four consecutive Midwest Conference titles broken last year, Grinnell returned to the top of the league in 2009. The Pioneers scored 62 points to emerge from a tight field, beating runner-up Carroll which had 71. In all, three teams were within 12 points of Grinnell.

Wartburg, ranked 19th nationally entering the Iowa Conference meet, sailed to an easy victory by out-distancing runner-up Luther by a 39-56 count. Central was third, followed by Simpson and Loras.

The MIAC team race was close last year, but not in 2009 as Carleton walked away with the title with 65 points. Carleton was ranked 20th nationally entering the meet. Bethel, ranked 14th coming into meet, won a close race for second with 91 points, three ahead of 23rd-ranked St. Thomas and seven in front of St. Olaf.

St. Scholastica had little trouble in the UMAC meet, winning by a 31-74 score of UM Morris. Martin Luther placed third.

Nebraska Wesleyan is the only GPAC entry in the regional, but is expected to fare well after being ranked 16th nationally earlier this month.

INDIVIDUAL
A "pack attack" led the Pioneers to the Midwest Conference team title, with three runners finishing in the top 10. They were Leah Russell in sixth place, Hannah Colter in seventh and Maja Gamble in eighth.

Anna Kraayenbrink of Wartburg, last year's regional runner-up, won the Iowa Conference individual title by 10 seconds over Catie Ellingson of Simpson. Angie Berry of Central was third, followed by Wartburg's Jennifer Kuiken and Luther's Katie Dolan.

Marie Borner of Bethel, the defending NCAA Division III champion who was also last year's regional champ, easily won the MIAC crown. She beat runner-up Simone Childs-Walker of Carleton by 32 seconds. Rounding out the top five were Margo Branigan of Hamline, Greta Sieve of St. Catherine and Taylor ffitch of Carleton.

Linda Keller of UM Morris was the individual champ in the UMAC, beating runner-up Katelyn Metzger of St. Scholastica by 16 seconds. St. Scholastica's Jessie Lovering was third, followed by Catherine Mead and Michelle Hubbell, both of North Central.

Jackie Spelts, fifth at last year's NCAA national meet, has been Nebraska Wesleyan's top runner this season. The GPAC meet was run after the printing deadline for this program.

The number "13" turned out to be a lucky one for the Grinnell College men's cross country team.

The Pioneers won their 13th Midwest Conference title in a row Saturday, and their 26th in program history, Saturday at the league meet at Rock Cut State Park in Loves Park, Ill.

The Pioneers had the top three finishers, sparked by individual champ Dan Krauss '12 (left), who ran the 8-kilometer course in 26 minutes, 42.13 seconds. He was followed by Noah DeLong '11 (center) and Alex Reich '11 (right), who ran 27:03.65 and 27:10.92, respectively.

David Montgomery '10 was fifth in 27:34.99 and Mike Gallagher '10 was 11th in 28:02.97. Also earning all-conference honors were Kyle Lynch-Klarup '10 (14th in 28:14.15) and Erik Figge '13 (16th in 28:17.71).

Grinnell scored a miniscule 22 points, well ahead of runner-up Ripon College, which had 75 points. Third place went to Monmouth College with 80.

"I was pretty happy with our performance," said Grinnell coach Will Freeman, who was named MWC co-coach of the year. "Dan ran great at the top and won with ease. The biggest surprises were Noah and Alex, though. They ran very well by finishing second and third, and David had a solid performance, as well. Four-deep, we're as good as almost anyone out there. I also have to credit Mike, Kyle and Erik, who were all very sharp. Ryan Moorehead was our eighth guy and he also had a strong performance. Right now we're just still trying to get people healthy so we're set to go for regionals in two weeks."

Grinnell hosts an NCAA Regional Meet on Nov. 14 at Oakland Acres Golf Club.
Results

The Grinnell College men's cross country team will look to extend its Midwest Conference title streak, while the women's squad will attempt to start another.

Grinnell's men will seek their 13th MWC crown in a row Saturday at Rock Cut State Park in Loves Park, Ill. The Pioneers' chances of doing so are good considering they have the top four 8 kilometer times in the conference this year with David Krauss '12 (24:44), David Montgomery '10 (25:08), Noah DeLong '11 (25:18) and Alex Reich '11 (25:24).

"We have the top four times in the conference, all run at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh meet, and we didn't even run our 5 and 6 guys there (Shyam Deshspande '11 and Chris Wilson '11) due to illness," said Grinnell coach Will Freeman. "They would have been right up there, too."

Freeman's goals for the MWC meet are simple. "I think it's pretty clear we're the favorites," he said. "I don't know what the other schools have, though, so my goal is for the runners to have a positive attitude and have their best efforts of the year. Those are the only two things you can control. It should be an interesting race in terms of the individual title, too. We're healthy, so that's a plus."

Freeman added the MWC meet will also be a nice test before the Pioneers host an NCAA Regional Meet two weeks from Saturday.

Grinnell's women will look to move back atop the MWC after finishing third a year ago. Prior to that, they had won four league titles in a row.

Three Pioneers are ranked in the top 10 in the league at 6 kilometers, Hannah Colter '12 (fifth at 23:09), Maja Gamble '11 (eighth at 23:30) and Leah Russell '11 (ninth at 23:37).

"We know it's going to be a four-team race (for the title) between us, Carroll, Monmouth and St. Norbert," said Grinnell coach Evelyn Freeman. "We're excited about the prospects, because we know we have so much more that we haven't shown this year. We haven't had a meet where we've been able to run at full strength, and that's what we're shooting for this time around. One of the advantages we have is depth, so hopefully that will help carry us to success."

The women's race is slated for 11 a.m., followed by the men at noon.
MWC Championships Preview

The Grinnell College men's cross country has moved up to second in the NCAA Division III Central Region rankings compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Nebraska Wesleyan is the top-rated team, followed by the Pioneers, St. Thomas (Minn.), Luther and St. Olaf. The regional meet will be hosted by Grinnell on Nov. 14 at Oakland Acres Golf Club.
Central Region Rankings

For the second time this season, Grinnell College's Dan Krauss '12 (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) has been named the Midwest Conference Men's Cross Country Performer of the Week.

Krauss finished 13th (12th among attached runners) in a field of more than 500 at the UW-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational. In a meet featuring 18 nationally-ranked teams between the men's and women's races, Krauss came through the finish line in 24:43.5 on the 8,000- meter course. That time ranks third in Grinnell history for that distance.

The female Performer of the Week was Megan O'Grady of Carroll University.
MWC Cross Country Release

With his top four runners racing to what coach Will Freeman said was the best top four performance in program history, the Grinnell College men's cross country team had a solid performance at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Brooks Invite on Saturday.

Dan Krauss '12 (upper left)cruised to a 12th-place finish and David Montgomery '10 (upper right) finished 26th to lead the Pioneers, who were also running without two of their usual scorers. Krauss finished in 24 minutes, 43.5 seconds and Montgomery came through in 25:07.8 as the Pioneers finished eighth as a team in a tough field, scoring 223 points. Between the men's and women's races, 18 nationally-ranked teams competed in the event.

Noah DeLong '11 (lower left) and Alex Reich '11 (lower right) were next in line for the Pioneers, finishing 34th in 25:17.6 and 43rd in 25:23.2 respectively. Also scoring for the Pioneers was Mike Tylinski '12, who was 108th in 26:12.02. Four Pioneer regulars didn't run due to illness.

The nation's top-ranked squad, North Central College, won the team title with 22 points. The individual champ was Dan Greeno of Bethel University, who finished in 24:15.6.

On the women's side, Hannah Colter '12 placed 75th in 23:09.83 to lead Grinnell. The Pioneers were 21st in the team standings with 565 points.

Following Colter were Maja Gamble '11 and Leah Russell '11, who were 93rd and 99th in 23:30.4 and 23:37.19, respectively. Rounding out Grinnell's scorers were Rachel Whitfield '10 (146th in 24:34.09) and Sasha Dunbar '13 (152nd in 24:38.5).

The nation's top-ranked squad, Calvin College, won the team title with 80 points. The individual champ was Ayla Mitchell of UW-Oshkosh, who finished in 20:28.52.

Grinnell's next competition is the Midwest Conference Championships, which is slated for Oct. 31 in Beloit, Wis.
Men's Results
Women's Results

Ben Burt '13 (pictured) led the way for the Grinnell College men's cross country team at Saturday's highly-competitive Dan Huston Invitational hosted by Wartburg College.

Burt ran the 8 kilometer race in 27 minutes, 37 seconds to finish 55th. That time is just 2 seconds out of putting him in the Midwest Conference top 20. He was followed by Ian McCallum-Cook '12 (64th in 28:02), Ryan Moorehead '13 (68th in 28:15), Jack Menner '13 (72nd in 28:18) and Griffin Smith '12 (78th in 28:44). Burt, Smith, Morehead, Kevin Cashman '10, Marcus Zeitz '12, Gabe Kringlen '13 and Menner all had personal-best times.

Grinnell, which did not run its top 12 runners on Saturday while preparing for this coming Saturday's Wisconsin-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational, was 12th in the team standings with 337 points. The winner was Augustana College, which scored 37 points and was six ahead of runner-up Wisconsin-Platteville. Wisconsin-Platteville had the individual champ in Jason Garvins, who ran 25:49.
Men's Results

David Montgomery '10, a senior from Grinnell College (Elmhurst, Ill./York), has been named Midwest Conference Men's Cross Country Performer of the Week.

Montgomery placed 13th of 373 runners at Augustana College's Brissman/Lundeen Invitational on Friday. He had a time of 25:54.8.

The MWC Women's Performer of the Week was Amanda Whipple of St. Norbert College.
MWC Cross Country Release

The Grinnell College men raced to a fourth-place finish in a field of 26 teams at the Brissman/Lundeen Invitational Friday afternoon at Credit Island Golf Course in Davenport.

The Pioneers tallied 133 points and were just eight points out of third place. On top of that, Grinnell also beat the team that it finished behind at the Les Duke Invitational, Truman State. The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point was the champ with 25 points.

Grinnell got a solid one-two punch from Dan Krauss '12 (left) and David Montgomery '10 (right), who were 12th and 13th place, respectively. Krauss ran the race in 25 minutes, 53.5 seconds and Montgomery came across in 25:54.8.

Rounding out the Pioneers were Noah DeLong '11 (20th place in 26:07.4), Alex Reich '11 (53rd in 26:49.4), Shyam Deshpande '11 (57th in 26:51.9), Chris Wilson '11 (62nd in 26:56.9) and Grant Reed '13 (73rd in 27:12.9).

On the women's side, Grinnell placed 13th with the aid of Maja Gamble's '11 45th-place finish. She ran the race, which measured nearly 600 meters short of 6000 meters, in 21:36.8.

She was followed closely by teammate Hannah Colter '12, who was 47th in 21:38.2.

Other Pioneer scorers were Annie Tempest '12 (70th in 22:05), Rachel Whitfield '10 (89th in 22:18.2) and Nora Colter '10 (91st in 22:19.6). Leah Russell '11 was actually the third Pioneer through the chute, but was inadvertently not counted in the results. She was approximately 50th place in a time of 21:46.

Grinnell has next weekend off before competing in the Wartburg Invitational on Oct. 10.

Dan Krauss '12 of Grinnell College (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) has been named the Midwest Conference Men's Cross Country Performer of the Week.

Krauss placed third in a field of 214 runners while leading the Grinnell College men's team to a runner-up finish at its own Les Duke Invitational on Saturday.

Krauss recorded a personal-best time of 26 minutes, 4 seconds in the 8 kilometer race. He moved into Grinnell's all-time top 50, currently ranking 40th.

The Grinnell College men's cross country team had a stellar effort in its season opener Saturday, placing second in a 14-team field at its own Les Duke Invitational at Oakland Acres Golf Course.

The Pioneers were sparked by a pair of top 10 finishes, as Dan Krauss '12 (left) took third place and David Montgomery '10 (right) was seventh place. Krauss ran the 8 kilometer race in 26 minutes, 4 seconds and Montgomery finished in 26:17.

Rounding out the Pioneers' scorers were Noah DeLong '11, who was 20th in 27:07, Alex Reich '11, 24th place in 27:27, and Shyam Deshpande '11, 33rd in 27:38.

Grinnell tallied 87 points and was outdone only by Truman State, which scored 49. The individual champ Dan Greeno of Bethel, who ran 25:17.

On the women's side, Grinnell placed eighth with 209 points. The Pioneers were sparked by Hannah Colter '12, who placed 29th in the 6 kilometer race in 24:29. She was followed by Leah Russell '11, who was 34th in 24:51.

Other Pioneer scorers were Rachel Whitfield '10 (45th in 25:18), Maja Gamble '11 (48th in 25:19) and Annie Tempest '12 (53rd in 25:40).

Truman State won the team title with 44 points, 11 ahead of runner-up Bethel. Marie Borner of Bethel was the individual champ in 21:23.

Both Grinnell teams have next weekend off before competing in the Augustana Invitational on Sept. 25.
Men's Results
Women's Results

Early September means one thing for the Grinnell College cross country teams - a chance to host the legendary Les Duke Invitational at Oakland Acres Golf Course.

Twenty-one schools are slated to compete in the event, which begins with the women's race at 10 a.m. followed by the men's at 10:45 a.m.

Grinnell's men are coming off a banner season in which they became just the third team in Midwest Conference history to score a perfect 15 at the league meet. They then went on to earn a spot in the NCAA Division III National Meet.

Despite graduating league individual champ Henry Reich '09 from that team, the Pioneers still boast plenty of firepower. Three returnees earned all-region honors last season - Sam Calisch '10 (who was 27th at the meet hosted by Grinnell), David Montgomery '10 (33rd) and Noah DeLong '11 (34th). At the MWC Meet, Calisch was second, DeLong third and Montgomery fourth to earn all-conference recognition.

"David Montgomery is a very seasoned veteran and should be among the favorites to win the individual conference title," said Grinnell men's coach Will Freeman. "Noah DeLong is a very strong, capable runner and this could be his break-through year. Sam Calisch is our top returning runner from conference - he was only seconds behind Henry. He's been hurt, but hopefully bounces back."

Freeman pointed to several other returnees, as well. "Alex Reich '11 (an all-conference performer) is certainly as talented as his brother Henry was at this stage, and Chris Wilson '11 is another top runner who proved that during track season. Shyam Deshpande '11 worked hard this summer and should have an impact, and Mike Gallagher '10 has never been more fit. He could be the biggest surprise of everyone. And I'm also happy with Dan Krauss '12. He's coming along very well. Kyle Lynch-Klarup '10 had a strong track season for us and can contribute, and others who can have an impact are Ian McCallum-Cook '12 and Mike Tylinksi '12.

"The nice thing is our returnees are all a year further along and can gain from that experience," he added. "Then we brought in some nice freshmen, as well."

Among the first-year group are a trio of runners from a Grinnell High School team that finished high at the Iowa State Championships last fall. They are Jack Menner '13, Ryan Morehead '13 and Ben Burt '13. "They are all going to have an impact on the program," said Freeman. "Add in two other newcomers, Erik Figge '13 and Grant Reed '13, and that is a nice first-year class. These guys all have great work ethics."

As for season goals, Freeman knows where to start. "My goal is always to win conference," he said. "The usual players will also contend, teams like St. Norbert and Monmouth. And I think the guys thoroughly enjoyed the experience at the national meet, so I have no doubt they want to return there."

The Grinnell women return four all-conference runners in Leah Russell '11 (10th place), Maja Gamble '11 (12th), Sachi Graber '12 (13th) and Hannah Colter '12 (18th). Colter led the team at last weekend's Central College Dutch Invitational by finishing 11th Catherine Bisignano '12 also factored into the conference meet last fall for Grinnell, finishing 29th.

Other returnees include the likes of Rachel Whitfield '10, Nora Colter '10, Lilah Melzer '11, Diane Meisles '12 and Annie Tempest '12.

"Last year we battled a lot of injury and sickness issues, so our big goal is to stay healthy this year," said Freeman. "We have a number of first-years joining us this year, as well as upperclassmen who have joined the team. It'll take a little time, but I think many of those people can help us."

Among the newcomers Freeman is pointing to are Sasha Dunbar '13, Colleen Waickman '13, Jacqui Vautin '13 and Annie Tomlinson '12.

Freeman is aiming at getting the Pioneers back atop the MWC. "We had a string of four conference titles broken last year," she explained. "A big goal is to regain the title and start a new string. As it looks now we don't have the big front runner, but instead a huge group of very solid runners. Right now the top seven could be any one of 15 people, which is good since it gives us some cushion injury-wise and also creates competition. Another nice thing is we're very well-balanced in all the years, first-years through seniors."

The Grinnell College men's cross country, coming off a strong 2008 campaign, is ranked 26th in the preseason NCAA Division III rankings compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Pioneers received a total of 68 voting points. The top-ranked team is North Central College, followed by UW-La Crosse and SUNY Cortland.

The Pioneers qualified for the NCAA Division III National Meet last season and also won the Midwest Conference title with a perfect score of 15, just the third time in history that feat has been accomplished.

Grinnell College's Henry Reich '09 has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men's Track and Field/Cross Country First Team.

Reich was one of 15 athletes named to the elite team in the College Division. He is the third Pioneer athlete to earn Academic All-America honors for Track and Field/Cross Country, but the first to be voted to the First Team.

Reich, a physics/mathematics major from Mahtomedi, Minn., has three conference titles to his credit this school year, winning the Midwest Conference individual cross country crown in 2008 (25 minutes, 51 seconds) and MWC indoor titles in the 3000- and 5000-meter races (8:46.61 and 15:09.55). He led Grinnell to just the third perfect cross country score in league history last fall (1 through 5 finish) and guided the Pioneers to the NCAA National Meet.

The ESPN The Magazine Academic Team is co-sponsored by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America).

The Pioneers, who won their 12th Midwest Conference title in a row last fall and qualified for the national meet, had a team GPA of 3.650. Both the Grinnell men's and women's squads won the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Awards for the 2008 season. A total of 103 men's teams and 156 women's squads received the honor.
Click here for men's release
Click here for women's release

Grinnell College cross country runners Henry Reich '09 and Sam Calisch '10 have been named to the NCAA Division III Men's All-Academic Team released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Both played key roles in helping the Pioneers win their 12th consecutive Midwest Conference title. Reich won the individual title and Calisch was second as Grinnell had the top five finishers, making the Pioneers just the third team in league history to post a perfect score of 15.

Both were also all-region performers and helped Grinnell qualify for the NCAA Division III National Meet. Reich is majoring in physics and mathematics, while Calisch is a mathematics major.
D-III All-Academic Team

Will and Evelyn Freeman, who have enjoyed an abundance of success as Grinnell College's cross country and track and field coaches, are featured in an article that appears in the January/February issue of Running Times magazine.

The article explains how the Freemans helped build the programs into conference and national contenders upon their arrival at the College in 1980, as well as thoughts on their roles as coaches and mentors to student-athletes.
To view the complete article

Henry Reich '09 (pictured) and Becky Bessinger '09 were recently named the Most Valuable Runners for the 2008 Grinnell College men's and women's cross country teams, respectively.

Other women winning awards were Elizabeth Jach '09 (Pioneer Award for outstanding performance, high quality of character and notable leadership), Leah Russell '11 (Most Improved Runner) and Sachi Graber '12 (Rookie Award).

Other awards on the men's side went to Sam Calisch '10 (Most Improved Runner) and Nick Sparr '09 (Purple Roo Award for outstanding performance, high quality of character and notable leadership).

Grinnell College's Henry Reich '09 has won the prestigious Roy W. LeClere Award winner for academic excellence.

The award goes to the Midwest Conference male student-athlete who had the highest grade point average during his junior year while lettering in at least two league sports. It is named for Roy W. LeClere, a collegiate sports enthusiast whose passion for the MWC led friends and co-workers to originally sponsor the award as a memorial in his honor.

Reich, a physics and mathematics major, is the first Grinnell student-athlete to win the award since Bradley Rudhoff earned it for the 2000-01 school year.

Reich has enjoyed stellar cross country and track careers at Grinnell. He is a four-time all-conference performer in cross country while leading the Pioneers to team titles all four years. Also an Academic All-American and Academic All-Conference selection, Reich won the individual Midwest Conference cross country title this season and helped guide the Pioneers to a spot in the NCAA Division III National Meet. He has posted the sixth-best time in Grinnell history.

Reich's accomplishments don't stop there, as he's also an All-Conference and Academic All-Conference runner for the Pioneers' track and field team.
See complete release

The Grinnell College men's cross country team finished its stellar 2008 campaign on a solid note Saturday morning by placing 26th at the NCAA Division III National Meet in Hanover, Ind.

The Pioneers had 577 points and finished higher than their pre-national meet ranking of 30th. Grinnell was paced by Henry Reich '09, who was 56th place in 25:16.16 over the 8 kilometer course. David Montgomery '10 was 80th in 25:39.73, Sam Calisch '10 placed 115th in 25:57.02, Ethan Heppner '11 took 160th in 26:20.03 and Noah DeLong '11 was 185th in 26:31.89. Rounding out Grinnell's lineup were Nick Sparr '09, who was 195th in 26:36.93, and Alex Reich '11, who was 201st in 26:40.72.

The individual champ was Peter Kosgei of Hamilton, who ran the course in 24:22.03, while Cortland State won the team crown with 80 points.

"I think we ran pretty well and had some fast times," said Grinnell coach Will Freeman. "It is so, so competitive here. But the guys made it and improved on their ranking, so that's great. Plus we return five of our seven guys next year, so I feel good about that."
2008 NCAA Division III National Meet Results

The Grinnell College men's cross country team will look to close its already-successful 2008 campaign on a high note as the Pioneers participate in the NCAA Division III National Meet hosted by Hanover College in Hanover, Ind., on Saturday. The men's race is slated for 10 a.m. Grinnell time.

The Pioneers advanced to the meet as an at-large selection after finishing fourth at last Saturday's Central Region Meet at Oakland Acres Golf Course. Four Pioneers earned all-region recognition by finishing in the top 35 at the meet. They were Henry Reich '09 (20th place), Sam Calisch '10 (27th), David Montgomery '10 (33rd) and Noah DeLong '11 (34th). Rounding out the team are Alex Reich '11, Ethan Heppner '11 and Nick Sparr '09. Mike Horrell '09 is serving as the team's alternate.

Grinnell coach Will Freeman anticipated a successful season already this past summer. "We had high expectations coming in," he said. "The primary players who were back had made a real commitment to training in the summer. That's usually the indicator that they're serious."

The early season consisted of a trip to the University of Kansas for a meet before the Pioneers hosted the annual Les Duke Invitational. "A lot of teams that were coming for the regional meet came down to the Les Duke to try out the course," Freeman said. "It's the largest field we ever had and for us to finish fourth out of 30-some schools was encouraging."

Also encouraging was the team's trip to Stanford University in California for a meet. "That was a great chance to run against some D-I schools," said Freeman. "Even though it didn't do us any favors in terms of criteria for selection (to the NCAA Division III National Meet), it was a great trip. Then we went to the Oshkosh (Wis.) meet and saw some great D-III competition. This was a good chance to see where we were at and set us up well for conference."

Grinnell made history of sorts at the Midwest Conference Meet as the Pioneers posted a perfect score of 15. That had been done only twice before, both times in the 1970s by Carleton College.

"I don't know if everyone understands how impressive it is to get a perfect score," said Freeman. "In all my years, I've never seen it. It's a very rare thing and will certainly be a career highlight for me."

That led into the Central Region Meet. "We ran in pretty much the same conditions as we did at the Les Duke, only our times on average were a minute faster," said Freeman. "That shows how far these guys have progressed. It's encouraging."

As for the national meet, Freeman has some goals. "It's hard to say exactly where we'll finish since we don't run against a lot of these schools, but logically you'd say you'd be happy with the top 25," he explained. "I'd personally love to see the top 20, and anything better than that is icing on the cake."

After waiting 24 hours to learn its fate, the news was good for the Grinnell College men's cross country team.

The Pioneers were chosen as an at-large qualifier for the 2008 NCAA Division III National Meet on Sunday, a day after placing fourth at the Central Region Meet at Oakland Acres Golf Course. The national meet is Nov. 22 at Hanover, Ind.

The top two Central Region teams, Nebraska Wesleyan and St. John's (Minn.), earned automatic NCAA berths. Joining Grinnell as an at-large qualifier from the Central Region was St. Olaf (Minn.).
NCAA Division III National Meet Information

Four Grinnell College men's cross country runners earned all-region status as the Pioneers finished fourth as a team at the 26-team NCAA Central Region Meet Saturday at Oakland Acres Golf Course outside of Grinnell.

The top two teams qualify for the national meet, with the rest of the NCAA field being made up of at-large qualifiers. Grinnell will learn if it is an at-large qualifier Sunday.

Grinnell finished with 167 points, 19 behind third-place St. Olaf. Nebraska Wesleyan won the meet with 130 while St. John's placed second with 139.

Grinnell was paced by Henry Reich '09 (upper left), who was 20th in the 8 kilometer race in 26:12. Others earning all-region honors for the Pioneers were Sam Calisch '10 (upper right), who was 27th in 26:30, David Montgomery '10 (lower left), who was 33rd in 26:39.9 and Noah DeLong '11 (lower right), who was 34th in 26:40.2. The Pioneers fifth scorer was Alex Reich '11, who was 53rd in 26:58.6.

The individual champ was Luther's David McKay, who finished in 25:29.2. Bethel's Marie Borner was the champ of the women's 6 kilometer race in 21:28.1. Wartburg and Luther earned the women's automatic team berths to the NCAA meet by finishing first and second, respectively, with 92 and 95 points. Grinnell was 17th with 468.

Leading the Pioneers was Becky Bessinger '09, who was 67th in 24:28.4. Other scorers for the Pioneers were Sachi Graber '12 (85th in 24:52.6), Leah Russell '11 (95th in 25:09.9), Hannah Colter '12 (105th in 25:22) and Elizabeth Jach '09 (116th in 25:38.7).

The national meet is slated for Nov. 22 in Hanover, Ind.
Men's Results
Women's Results

Grinnell College will host the NCAA Division III Central Region Meet Saturday at Oakland Acres Golf Course. The men's event is at 11 a.m. and the women's race follows at noon.

The top two teams automatically qualify for the NCAA Meet, as do the top seven individuals from non-qualifying teams. Here is a breakdown of the meet:

MEN'S TEAM RACE
The men's team race will be a barn-burner, as four teams were ranked between 26th and 33rd prior to their respective conference meets.

Regional host Grinnell posted a perfect score of 15 en route to winning the Midwest Conference title, the Pioneers' 12th league crown in a row. The Pioneers were rated 33rd prior to their conference meet.

Four teams battled to within 21 points at the MIAC meet, with St. Olaf emerging as the winner with 75 points. Hamline won a close battle for second with 87 points and was followed by St. Thomas with 93 and Bethel with 96. St. Thomas entered the meet at the No. 26 spot nationally and St. Olaf was 27th.

Like the MIAC, the IIAC title chase was also close with Luther nipping Loras by a 48-59 margin. Coe was a close third with 67 points and was followed by Simpson at 81.

Martin Luther enters the regional meet as the UMAC champion, having beaten Northwestern by a 46-61 margin. St. Scholastica took third with 73 points.

Nebraska Wesleyan is the lone GPAC entry in the regional, but is expected to make some noise after being ranked 30th earlier this month.

MEN'S INDIVIDUAL RACE
Grinnell's perfect score at the Midwest Conference meet was led by Henry Reich, who claimed top individual honors. Rounding out the top five for the Pioneers were Sam Calisch, Noah DeLong, David Montgomery, and Nick Sparr. All five were within 31 seconds of each other.

Duboul Ruon of St. Olaf was the MIAC individual champion, defeating Martin Mudry of Macalester by 4 seconds. Rounding out the top five were Brandon Gleason of Hamline, Dan Greeno of Bethel and Dan Foley of Gustavus Adolphus. Greeno was fourth at last year's regional meet.

Brian Chenoweth of Wartburg beat David McKay of Luther by 7 seconds to take top honors at the IIAC meet. Rounding out the top five were John Fry of Loras, Brad O'Neill of Coe and Eric Osterhaus of Simpson. McKay was fifth at last year's regional meet.

Nathan Loersch of Martin Luther won the UMAC title by 7 seconds over Daniel Bare of North Central. Rounding out the top five were Jake Turman of St. Scholastica, Seth Brickley of Crown and Joel Groten of Northwestern.

Logan Watley has been Nebraska Wesleyan's top runner this season.

WOMEN'S TEAM RACE
Wartburg entered the IIAC meet ranked third in the nation, and showed the lofty standing was well-deserved as the Knights easily out-distanced runner-up Luther 28-49. Luther entered the meet ranked 30th. Loras was third with 90 points.

The MIAC meet was all it was cracked up to be, as the top three teams finished within five points of each other. St. Thomas eked out the team title with 66 points and was followed by Bethel and Carleton with 68 and 71 points, respectively. St. Thomas entered the meet ranked 14th, Bethel was 28th and Carleton 11th. Fourth-place St. Olaf was ranked 27th.

Grinnell had its string of Midwest Conference titles broken, but still managed a tie for third with St. Norbert College. Each team had 75 points.

St. Scholastica had little trouble in the UMAC meet, winning by a 23-72 margin over runner-up Northwestern. Minnesota Morris was third with 86.

Nebraska Wesleyan is the only GPAC entry in the regional, but is expected to fare well after being ranked 21st earlier this month.

WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL RACE
Mary Bridget Corken of Loras won the IIAC individual crown, defeating runner-up Anna Kraayenbrink of Wartburg by 10 seconds. Janet Dobyns of Luther was third, followed by Rachelle Hawkins of Cornell and Emily VanOosbree of Wartburg. Dobyns won last year's regional title.

Marie Borner of Bethel cruised to the MIAC title as she defeated teammate and runner-up Alex Potter by 45 seconds. Simone Childs-Walker of Carleton was third, followed by Katie Theisen of St. Thomas and Hailey Brenden of Concordia. Borner was second at last year's regional meet and Theisen placed fourth.

Leah Russell and Maja Gamble led Grinnell at the Midwest Conference meet, placing 10th and 12th, respectively. Becky Bessinger has also been a strong runner for the Pioneers.

Katelyn Meger led a 1-3 sweep for St. Scholastica at the UMAC meet, as she defeated teammate Jessie Lovering by nearly a minute. Third went to Tara Connelly, while Mel Olson of Northwestern and Elizabeth Haasch of Martin Luther rounded out the top five.

Jackie Spelts has been Nebraska Wesleyan's top runner this season.

The Grinnell College men's cross country moved from 33rd to 28th this week in the NCAA Division III rankings compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Pioneers received a total of 57 voting points. The top-ranked team is Cortland State, followed by North Central and Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

One word can describe the performance of the Grinnell College men's cross country team as the Pioneers raced to their 12th consecutive Midwest Conference title Saturday at Lake Storey Park in Galesburg, Ill.

That word is "perfection."

The Pioneers recorded a perfect score of 15, marking just the third time in league history a squad has accomplished such a feat. Carleton did it in 1974 and 1976. Henry Reich '09 raced his way to the individual title in 25:51, just a second off the course record.

Also contributing to the perfect score were runner-up Sam Calisch '10 (25:59), third-place runner Noah DeLong '11 (26:05), fourth-place finisher David Montgomery '10 (26:12) and fifth-place finisher Nick Sparr '09 (26:22). The Pioneers had three other runners earn all-conference honors by finishing in the top 20 - Alex Reich '11 (10th in 26:40), Ethan Heppner '11 (12th in 26:45) and Mike Horrell '09 (17th in 27:10).

"The guys are coming around nicely," said Grinnell coach Will Freeman, who was named the MWC Men's Coach of the Year. "That's showing in workouts and meets. They're a pretty impressive group - they stepped up and are right on track. Not only is the perfect score impressive, but the fact that there was only a 30-second spread among those guys shows the strength of this group."

Grinnell hosts the NCAA Division III Regional Meet on Nov. 15 at Oakland Acres Golf Course.
MWC Men's Results