There were 99 NCAA Division III men's teams to earn the award and 141 women's squads. For a team to be considered for the award, it must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet and earned a minimum 3.10 team cumulative grade point average. Individually, a trio of Grinnell College runners were named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Women's Team.

Pioneers earning the honor were Allison Louthan '08 (left), Becky Bessinger '09 (center) and Sarah Spencer '08 (right). A total of 203 females in NCAA Division III earned such an honor nation-wide.

Sarah Spencer '08 (left) and Allison Louthan '08 (right) wrapped up their Grinnell College cross country careers in impressive fashion Saturday, as each collected All-American honors at the NCAA Division III national meet at Northfield, Minn.

Spencer repeated as an All-American as she placed sixth in the 6 kilometer race in a time of 21:28, while Louthan placed 32rd in 22:07. The top 35 in the race, which was contested in slightly snowy and cold conditions, earned All-American honors.

Spencer, already Grinnell's all-time fastest runner, improved on her previous personal best by a whopping 22 seconds. Louthan improved on last season's 92nd-place performance at nationals. "We're really pleased … they ran great and had extremely fast times," said Grinnell coach Evelyn Freeman. "The field was very competitive. The winner ran 20:53, and second through fifth were 21:16 to 21:27, so Sarah was right in the hunt. What a way for both Sarah and Allison to finish their cross country careers here. And it's even better that they finished up by being named All-Americans. That's a real tribute to both runners."

Both runners were satisfied with their performances. "Off the starting line, people went out really quickly which was to be expected," said Spencer. "I had to follow suit in order to keep myself from getting stuck back in the pack. I went through the mile a lot quicker than I have all season, but at a little less than halfway through the race there were still more than 15 women in front of me. I prefer to be strong through the middle of the race and so that was when I picked people off and moved up. The last half mile I really felt the effects of that fast first mile and it was a tough to push through to the end. I think it was the excitement of all the screaming spectators helped pull me through to the finish."

"I felt I ran well and did as well as I could," said Louthan. "The race went out really fast and all together, and I think Sarah and I were smart and tried to stay up at the top for the first 400 meters or so, so we didn't get boxed in too badly. Other than that, it was a good race for me personally and I'm happy to end on a race I feel proud of."

Both admitted its hard to believe their careers are done. "It's really sad to be done with cross country, but again, a good way to go out," said Louthan. "I'm still planning on doing track and so am not that sad. But since Sarah will be gone in the spring, that's sad and I'm sure the whole team feels the same. However sad I am, it's nice to feel like I have more time to do other things."

"It certainly has not sunk in that I am now finished with Grinnell cross country," added Spencer. "I have been running for a long time and I can't imagine what it will be like to run without a team. It is going to be very lonely without them."

See results

Grinnell College's Sarah Spencer '08 (left) and Allison Louthan '08 (right) will close out their Pioneer cross country careers Saturday when they travel to Northfield, Minn., for the NCAA Division III National Meet hosted by St. Olaf College. The event begins at 11 a.m.

Spencer, who finished third at nationals a year ago, was the runner-up at last Saturday's Central Region Meet at Northfield, touring the 6 kilometer course in 21 minutes, 47 seconds. Louthan advanced after placing seventh at the regional event. She ran 22:24.

"I'm pleased how the team ran overall," said Grinnell coach Evelyn Freeman, whose squad was eighth at the meet. "Sarah had a personal best time, and a few others did, too. Becky Bessinger was one of those. She was 35th this year after placing 16th last year with a slower time, so that shows what the region looked like this year. There's no reason to be disappointed in our performance, even though we're not going to nationals as a team."

Freeman said the injury and illness bug bit the Pioneers all season long. "We've been missing runners throughout the year," she said. "If we'd been healthy we might have been able to qualify for nationals, but those are just things you have to accept and deal with."

Freeman is looking for big performances from both Pioneers on Saturday. "They're coming out of a tough region, so they've seen great competition," she said. "Both are seniors and this is their final race, so you know they're going to give it their all. It's nice they're running on the exact same course they've run twice already this year. That should be helpful. Both Sarah and Allison have already talked about varying their strategy a bit to see if they can run even better. There's no reason both can't be All-Americans (place in the top 35)." Both runners have been happy how the Pioneer team has endured this season. "Overall it has been a good season," said Spencer. "As a team we had a lot of women who improved an incredible amount and trained at a new level from where they were in the past. It was a tough season with a lot of sickness and injuries and I am proud of how much everyone came together as a team and supported each other through the difficulties. Naturally I wish we were going to nationals as a team, but unfortunately it didn't work out this time around."

"The season has gone pretty well … I'm satisfied with how I've done and progressed, and it has gone fairly well for the team, as well," added Louthan. "We had a number of people dealing with injuries, which made it more difficult than last year, and so in some ways it hasn't gone as well as we had hoped coming into the year. But I think we've done really well considering the struggles we've been faced with as a team. One of the highlights overall was the number of injured women or recovering from injuries who were able to run at conference; seeing some of them finish was really wonderful."

Spencer admitted the season has been a blur. "It has gone by much too quickly," she said. "I have come a long way these past two years, but I am still waiting for a break-through race where I can really put to use all the hard training we have done. This weekend is it, so hopefully I can dig deep and leave everything out on the course. I know that in a lot of ways I am a more mature runner now. Having been to nationals in track and cross country, I am not intimidated by running against women who have already made a name for themselves in Division III distance running. Their faces are familiar and I hope that I can draw on my experience from having gone up against some of them three times already and run a smarter race on Saturday. There are some extremely talented women in the field and regardless of what happens, it is neat just to be a part of all the excitement."

Both runners were happy with their regional performances. "The race went pretty well; some women PRed, so I think we ran as well as we could overall," said Louthan. "It's frustrating that we didn't qualify as a team, but again I think we have overcome a lot of obstacles this season regardless. In terms of my own race, I ran pretty well. I wanted to stick with Sarah for at least two miles and I did that, so I was happy with it. It will be nice to run the same course this weekend so I can be more prepared and try to do a little better on that course."

"My strategy for regionals was to try to run smart," said Spencer. "Lots of women get overly-excited off the starting line and go out too fast. It's a long race and going out fast can really affect the later stages of the race. I prefer to keep things in check early on and run strong through the second half. At the first mile Allison and I were running together and there were six to eight women in front of us. That was exactly how I wanted it to be. I think I should have picked it up a little more over the second mile, but at the time I chose not to. All in all Saturday's race was good, but there are things I could have done differently and it left me wanting to really go after it this coming weekend."

Both Spencer and Louthan are seeking to finish on a strong note Saturday. "The goal for this Saturday is to go out with a bang," said Spencer. " This is the last race for both Allison and me, so I think we both want to finish up feeling like we didn't hold anything back. Regardless of how we finish, it has been a great season and a pleasure to run and train together. I look forward to enjoying every minute of this coming weekend and to be able to run in the Grinnell uniform one last time."

"I think last year's trip to nationals will be really helpful," added Louthan. "Last year was really nerve-wracking and fairly intimidating, but I know what to expect this year and won't have as many jitters, hopefully. The conditions should be a bit better, as well. In terms of planning, I want to do the same thing as last weekend because it's just another race, even though it seems bigger and more important. Again, working together with Sarah will be really helpful during the race, and having the support of the team will be great, too."

Grinnell College's Sarah Spencer '08 (left) and Allison Louthan '08 (right) are returning to the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Meet after strong finishes at Saturday's Central Region Meet in Northfield, Minn.

Spencer placed second in the region with a new personal best time, touring the 6 kilometer course in 21 minutes, 47 seconds. Louthan was seventh in the race in 22:24.

Also earning all-region honors, which are awarded the top 35 runners, was Becky Bessinger '09. She finished 35th with a new personal best time of 23:29. Rounding out the Pioneers' list of runners were Elizabeth Jach '09 (83rd in 24:23), Maja Gamble '11 (108th in 24:56), Rachel Whitfield '10 (117th in 25:10) and Erin Sindewald '08 (136th in 26:05).

As a team, Grinnell finished eighth. The top two teams automatically qualify for nationals, and only the third- through fifth-place teams are considered for at-large national berths.

"As a team, we ran a good race," said Grinnell coach Evelyn Freeman. "We had a number of personal bests or season-best times. You can't ask much more than that. We were in a very competitive region with lots and lots of good teams who were closely bunched together in the standings." The national meet will be in Northfield, Minn., as well.
NCAA Central Region women's results

It was a clean sweep for the Grinnell College cross country teams at the Midwest Conference Championships Saturday at Nichols Park in Jacksonville, Ill.

The Pioneer men won their 11th league title in a row and the women their fourth straight. On top of that, Sarah Spencer '08 defended her women's individual title. Grinnell's men now own 24 MWC cross country titles, which is best-ever in the league and surpasses Carleton's 23.

Grinnell's women easily won them team title, scoring 38 points compared to runner-up Carroll's total of 71. The Pioneer men tallied 45 points to beat runner-up St. Norbert College by six.

The day started on a stellar note for the Pioneers as Spencer ran the 5 kilometer course in 17 minutes, 59.92 seconds and Allison Louthan '08 finished as the runner-up in 18:18.95, beating two-time MWC champ Erin Kelley of Carroll College, who was third.

Becky Bessinger '09 was sixth in 19:26.69, Maja Gamble '11 added a 10th-place finish in 19:56.90 and Elizabeth Jach '09 was 19th in 20:13.43. Rounding out the top seven were Rachel Whitfield '10 (21st in 20:28.23) and Erin Sindewald '08 (28th in 20:54.23).

The Pioneer men used a solid pack to take the title. Henry Reich '09 led that pack by placing seventh in the 8 kilometer race with a time of 26 minutes, 21.77 seconds. He was followed by David Montgomery '10 (eighth in 26:27.92), David Krist '08 (ninth in 26:36.85), Charles Knuth '08 (10th in 26:42.10) and Noah DeLong '11 (11th in 26:46.23).

Other top 20 finishers were Ethan Heppner '11 (14th in 26:49.52), Sam Calisch '10 (15th in 26:49.84) and Mike Horrell '09 (19th in 26:54.39). The overall champ was Jeff Pentek of St. Norbert, who ran 25:17.37.

Both Grinnell teams have two weeks off before competing in the NCAA Regional Meet at Northfield, Minn.

Click here for women's 2007 MWC Results

Click here for 2007 MWC Meet Photos

Grinnell College's Allison Louthan '08 of Corvallis, Ore., has been named the Midwest Conference Women's Cross Country Top Performer of the Week.

Louthan raced to victory at Saturday's Illinois College Invitational, winning the 5-kilometer race in 18:28.83. That time is second-best in the MWC this season and helped the Pioneers take first place as a team.

The Grinnell College cross country teams both raced to victory at Saturday's Illinois College Invitational in Jacksonville as a steady rain poured.

In the women's 5 kilometer race, Allison Louthan '08 finished first in 18 minutes, 28.83 seconds and Sarah Spencer '08 came in second at 18:29.00. Other top Grinnell runners were Elizabeth Jach '09 (sixth place in 20:27.59), Maja Gamble '11 (seventh in 20:33.33), Rachel Whitfield '10 (10th in 20:43.37), Kelsey Hyde '11 (17th in 21:49.13) and Maggie Kamraczewski '10 (28th in 23:13.06).

The women finished with 26 points, three ahead of runner-up Greenville. Grinnell's men had 20 points, well ahead of second-place Greenville's 65-point output.

David Montgomery '10 led the Pioneer men over the 8-kilometer course by placing second in 26:32.76, while Noah DeLong '11 was third in 26:43.66. Following them were Henry Reich '09 (fourth in 26:44.65), Charlie Knuth '08 (fifth in 26:58.60), Sam Calisch '10 (sixth in 27:03.53), Ethan Heppner '11 (seventh in 27:05.20) and Mike Horrell '09 (ninth in 27:16.04).

Grinnell's returns to Jacksonville on Oct. 27 for the Midwest Conference Championships.

The Grinnell College women's cross country team is 25th in this week's NCAA Division III national rankings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Amherst is the top-ranked women's team, collecting all eight first-place votes. Calvin is the top men's team, also garnering every top vote.
Click here to see Women's NCAA Division III national rankings

Sarah Spencer '08 raced to victory to spark the Grinnell College women's cross country team to a third-place finish at Saturday's Pre-National Meet hosted by St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Spencer had a clocking of 22 minutes, 58.64 seconds over the slow and soggy 6 kilometer course to beat the runner-up by nearly 20 seconds. Next in line for Grinnell was Becky Besinger '09, who was 19th in 25:25.19.

Other top Pioneers were Elizabeth Jach '09 (24th in 25:33.5), Maja Gamble '11 (30th in 26:06.3), Rachel Whitfield '10 (35th in 26:13.49), Kelsey Hyde '11 (74th in 28:08.54) and Lyla Melzer '11 (76th in 28:10.44).

Grinnell had 109 points. Emory University won the 14-team meet with 38 points, while runner-up Loras College had 77.

Grinnell's will next be in action next Saturday at Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL. They will return to Jacksonville on Oct. 27 for the Midwest Conference Championships.

Click here for team results
Click here for individual results
Click here for Pre-Nationals Photos

Grinnell cross country and track coach Will Freeman is no stranger to hosting major events at Grinnell. Having hosted the the1990 U.S. Master Coach Clinic that included four Olympic coaches on the staff, the successful 2007 National Distance Running Summit and two NCAA National Cross Country Championships, Freeman may have just set the bar even higher. On Jan. 4-5, he will be the host for the 2008 National Distance Running Summit in the new Joe Rosenfield Center on the campus of Grinnell College. Coaches and runners from all over the nation are expected to attend.

The list of speakers is impressive. 1972 Olympic marathon champion Frank Shorter (pictured) will deliver the keynote address and will also speak on the training he did to reach the pinnacle of athletic performance, Olympic gold. America's top distance coach, and the 2008 U.S. Olympic coach, Dr. Joe Vigil will also present on two topics, as will Scott Simmons of Queens University of Charlotte, NC. Simmons and Freeman were co-writers of the successful 2007 book on coaching cross country, "Take the Lead". The summit will also have Dan Green, the highly successful high school distance coach at the Woodlands School in Houston, TX. The Woodlands is perennially one of the top HS programs in the nation in cross country. Will Freeman will complete the staff of presenters. The long-time Grinnell coach has been called "a teacher of coaches" and has presented throughout the nation and internationally. Freeman couldn't be more pleased with the staff that will be presented at the event,

"I couldn't be happier with this group of speakers. I have the greatest respect for each of them. Frank Shorter and Joe Vigil are icons in the sport of distance running. Shorter almost single-handedly began the jogging boom in the U.S. with his Olympic victory in 1972. Coach Joe Vigil is viewed as one of the very best distance coaches in the world. He has lead a resurgence in distance running in the U.S., as evidence by two of his athletes winning silver and bronze in the marathons at the Athens Games of 2004. Scott Simmons is clearly one of the most respected coaches in the nation. Simmons-coached teams have won the last five NAIA national championships in cross country. And to have Dan Green in is a wonderful surprise. He is an outstanding coach who is one of the finest presenters I have seen. His high school teams at the Woodlands have an amazing national tradition in cross country. This is one of the finest clinic staffs I have ever seen and I couldn't be happier that this national summit will be at Grinnell."

Freeman is in his 27th year of coaching at Grinnell. His cross country teams have won twenty of the past twenty-one Midwest Conference titles in cross country. A former All-America pole vaulter and Olympic Trials finalist in the event while at the University of Florida, Freeman has also been the national chairman for coaching education with USA Track & Field, the ruling body for the sport in the U.S.

All events for the summit will take place in the Joe Rosenfield Center on the campus of Grinnell College on Jan. 4-5, 2008. The price of $132 includes 4 meals and a bound set of summit notes of the over 20 hours of presentations (attendees can also pay $100 without meals). More information on the Summit can be found at www.grinnell.edu/athletics/mcross

Sarah Spencer and Allison Louthan turned in strong finishes to spark the Grinnell College women's cross country team to a fifth-place finish at the Brissman/Lundeen Invitational Friday at Credit Island Park in Davenport.

Spencer '08 finished second in the 284-woman field with a time of 21 minutes, 54 seconds and Louthan '08 was fourth in 22:05. Jessica Lamp of Wisconsin-Parkside was the winner in 21:50.

Rounding out Grinnell's top seven were Maja Gamble '11 (45th in 24:15), Rachel Whitfield '10 (69th in 24:44), Elizabeth Jach '09 (70th in 24:45), Nora Colter '10 (82nd in 24:53) and Erin Sindewald '08 (111th in 25:26).

Grinnell finished with 171 points. The champ was Wisconsin-Parkside with 70.

"We were fairly satisfied," said Grinnell coach Evelyn Freeman. "We're still not at full strength, plus we were missing our No. 3 runner, Becky Bessinger, who was at her brother's wedding. I'm very happy with the finishes of Sarah and Allison. Sarah's been sick all week, but still turned in a nice performance."

The Pioneers' next action is Oct. 6 at the Pre-National Meet in Northfield, Minn.

Click here for meet results

Click here for Augustana Photos

Grinnell, Iowa - Sarah Spencer '08 raced to the individual title while helping the Grinnell College women's cross country team to a tie for first at the Les Duke Invitational Saturday at Oakland Acres Golf Club.

Spencer toured the 6 kilometer course in 22 minutes, 22 seconds.

Teammate Allison Louthan '08 was close behind in third place in 22:45.

Other scorers for the Pioneers were Becky Bessinger '09 (seventh in 24:12), Maja Gamble '11 (22nd in 25:08) and Elizabeth Jach '09 (31st in 25:40).

The Pioneers scored 60 points, the same as Morningside College.

The Pioneers' next action will be Sept. 21 when they compete in the Augustana Invitational. The meet begins at 5 p.m.

Click Here For Complete Les Duke Women's Results


Click here for Les Duke Photos

After winning the title at last year's Les Duke Invitational, the Grinnell College women's cross country team is back for more.

The Pioneers host the 45th running of the event Saturday morning at Oakland Acres Golf Course.

"We're hoping to win again," said Grinnell coach Evelyn Freeman. "But teams like Central and Simpson have been improving over the last few years and should be a major challenge for us."

Rounding out the field will be Buena Vista, Clarke, Coe, Cornell, Des Moines Area Community College, University of Dubuque, Grand View, Knox, Morningside and William Penn.

Sarah Spencer '08 and Allison Louthan '08, who had strong showings at last Saturday's Bob Timmons Invitational in Kansas, will lead the Pioneers.

"They ran the last meet together and should have strong showings again Saturday," said Freeman.

Running third for the Pioneers is Becky Bessinger '09.

Others who should be in the upper mix, according to Freeman, are Maja Gamble '11, Nora Colter '10, Rachel Whitfield '10 and Elizabeth Jach '09.

"All of them are running very well," said Freeman.

The coach noted that a few other top team members are not expected to participate as they rehab from injuries. That group includes Meredith Groves '08, Erin Sindewald '08 and Leah Russell '11.

The women's 6 kilometer race begins at 10 a.m.

Sarah Spencer '08 and Allison Louthan '08 raced to high finishes to spark the Grinnell College women's cross country team at Saturday's Bob Timmons Invitational at Lawrence, Kan.

Spencer was fifth in the 111-runner field, touring the 6 kilometer course in 23 minutes, 7.21 seconds. Louthan was right behind in 23:09.61. .

Their efforts helped Grinnell to sixth place in the team standings with 137 points. Host Kansas won the prestigious meet with 53 points. .

Rounding out the Pioneers were Becky Bessinger '09 (31st in 24:57.86), Maja Gamble '11 (50th in 25:52.58), Elizabeth Jach '09 (58th in 26:36.11), Nora Colter '10 (63rd in 26:46.39) and Rachel Whitfield '10 (70th in 27:03.15). .

The Pioneers host the Les Duke Invitational next Saturday. .

To qualify for All-Academic recognition, a team must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.1 or higher. The Pioneers maintained a stellar 3.54 GPA. Middlebury College, was named the Team of the Year after winning the NCAA Championship and posting a GPA of 3.46. The highest finishing team in the nation which meets the minimum team requirement of a 3.1 GPA earns Team of the Year honors.

The Pioneers also had six individual runners recognized with All-Academic honors. Becky Bessinger '09, Sara Brady '07, Meredith Groves '08, Allison Louthan '08, Katie Ryan '07, and Sarah Spencer '08 each received the accolades by maintaining the minimum 3.5 GPA. The team tied with Willamette University for the most individuals in all of Division III.

Complete All-Academic List

Sarah Spencer '08 and Sara Brady '07 earned All-American honors on Saturday as the Grinnell College women's cross country team took seventh-place in its first-ever trip to the NCAA National meet. The Pioneers finished with 237 points.

Spencer, finished third in a time of 22:52 as Brady turned in a 35th-place finish with a time of 23:54.

"It was a very memorable experience for all of us, despite the weather conditions," said Head Coach Evelyn Freeman. "There were a lot of unexpected results as far as who placed well and which teams finished high. It basically came down to who could handle the adverse conditions."

Katie Ryan '07 (24:42) finished in 83rd for the Pioneers while Allison Louthan '08 (24:47) and Becky Bessinger '09 (24:49) recorded 92nd and 93rd-place finishes, respectively. Erin Sindewald '08 (25:54) and Meredith Groves '08 (26:24) round out the top times for Grinnell.

"This was the first time a Grinnell team has qualified for the National meet, and to place seventh is outstanding," Freeman added.

Middlebury captured the team crown with 144 points, while Willamette's Sarah Zerzan took the individual title in a time of 22:31.

Click Here for Complete Team Standings

Click Here for Complete Individual Standings

Click here for NCAA Meet Men's and Women's Photos

"No one had a bad race," said Head Coach Eveyln Freeman, who was also named the NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year. "They were all terrific. To place six on the All-Region Team is an outstanding feat. We were all overwhelmed as it was an emotional time."

Sarah Spencer '08 leads the list of Pioneers on the All-Region Team following her second-place performance (22:08.62) on Saturday, while Sarah Brady '07 followed in third (22:30.07). Katie Ryan '07 finished in eighth (23:00.22), Allison Louthan '08 (23:03.82) took 11th, Becky Bessinger was 24th (23:35.47), and Meredith Groves '08 finished in 35th (23:47.07).

As a team, the Pioneers have participated in seven scheduled meets this season and have brought home five team titles. They gave a preview of things to come when they took second at their season-opening meet in the Bob Timmons Invite at Lawrence, Kan. The team, running against primarily Division I schools, finished only behind the University of Kansas.

"This group was already looking forward to and getting excited about this season before track season even ended last year," Freeman added.

After winning the Les Duke Invitational in early September and finishing fourth at Augustana (Ill.), the Pioneers have put together a four-meet winning streak which includes both a conference and regional title. This weekend, the team will look to make it five straight when it travels to West Chester, Ohio, for a chance to bring home a National Championship.

"After a performance like that, it's been hard to come back down and get refocused," said Freeman. "We had a short meeting on Monday to begin that process. Now let's hope we can refocus and live it all over again this weekend."

Not only does the team run smart and stay focused when out on the course, the Pioneers have established a foundation of intelligence off of it as well; showing its focus and commitment in their classroom studies. Of the 25 runners the squad landed on the MWC All-Academic Team last season, only 10 were seniors. The team has 14 of those 15 remaining runners back out this season; so much could be said again in 2006.

Freeman says she is unsure how the team manages to stay as focused as they do both in and out of the classroom and still show the same steadiness of success in both.

"I don't know," she said with a smile. "They are all very fine student-athletes. I know they work extremely hard with their professors and do an outstanding job of staying on top of everything. They've definitely worked hard for everything."

The Pioneers will be in action on Saturday when the women's race kicks-off at 12:00 p.m.

Click Here for Further Information About the NCAA National Meet

Click Here for Complete Team Scoring from NCAA Regionals
Click Here for Complete Individual Results from NCAA Regionals
Click here for NCAA Regional Meet Men's and Women's Photos

Senior Sara Brady (left) finishes her 3rd-place performance with a time of 22:30 for the 6k distance. Allison Louthan and Katie Ryan (L,R below) placed 11th and 8th respectively.