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November 22, 2010

2010 Season - Hottle, Coverick share MVP honors

Theresa Coverick (left) and Hannah Hottle shared the Most Valuable Performer award for the 2010 Augustana women's cross country team.

Augustana senior Hannah Hottle (Monmouth-Roseville HS, Monmouth, Ill.) and sophomore Theresa Coverick (Stagg HS, Palos Park, Ill.) were selected as co-MVPs for the 2010 cross country season. This is Hottle’s second consecutive MVP award. Hottle, a senior captain, was the top finisher for Augustana in four meets this year, and Coverick was the first Augustana runner to cross the line in three races.

Hottle finished 81 st in a time of 19:48 in the Illinois Intercollegiate Championship 5,000 meter race in Normal, Illinois this year. A 36 th place finish at the Brissman/Lundeen Invitational at Augustana’s home course in Rock Island, Illinois with a time of 23:26 for the 6,000 meter race and a 16 th place finish in a time of 15:41 at the Western Ontario University Invite in London, Ontario, were two more highlights of her season. She also was the 17 th place finisher at the CCIW Championship, which Augustana hosted.

Coverick had top finishes at the Northern Illinois Invite (22 nd, 20:17) and the Loras Bob Tucker Invite (7 th, 23:33). She also led the team at the NCAA Division III regional meet, held at the Augustana’s home course. She finished the 6,000 meter race in a time of 23:10.

Emma Grandgeorge (Sycamore HS, Sycamore, Ill.) was voted as the Most Valuable Freshman. Grandgeorge was consistently in the Top 7 runners for the team, finishing in the top seven in 8 of the 9 races that she raced in. She was a top 5 contributor in three of the races, including the NCAA Division III Regional meet. Her time of 24:36 for the 6,000 meter race was one of her fastest of the year.

Two Vikings split the Most Improved Runner award, junior Angela Pisani (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) and freshman Alexandra Blust (York HS, Elmhurst Ill.). Pisani was a Top 7 finisher for the team multiple times this season and Blust had a solid first year competing for the Vikings. Senior Brittany Prazak (Naperville North HS, Naperville, Ill.) and sister, sophomore Jennifer Prazak (Naperville North HS, Naperville, Ill.), won the Eric Vortman Viking Spirit Award.

Current seniors Hannah Hottle and Brittany Prazak were honored for their contributions as team captains during the 2009 season. The captains-elect for 2010 are Pisani, Melissa Lehpamer (Plainfield South HS, Plainfield, Ill.) and Sarah Johnson (Grayslake North HS, Lake Villa, IL).

Veteran head coach Fred Whiteside recently finished his 29 th season at the helm of the Vikings’ cross country program. Augustana competed in a dual meet with St. Ambrose to start the season on September 1 at Sunset Marina in Rock Island, Illinois. The Vikings won the Western Illinois Invitational in Macomb, Illinois on September 3. They placed 2 nd in the St. Ambrose Invitational in Davenport, Iowa on October 23 rd and the Loras Bob Tucker Invitational in Dubuque, Iowa on October 15th. A 3 rd place finish at the Western Ontario Invitational October 7 th highlighted a trip to Canada midseason. They also finished 3 rd at the JV Cup in Decorah, Iowa on November 5 th . The Vikings earned a 4 th place finish at the Northern Illinois Invite in DeKalb, Illinois on September 11th and 5 th at the CCIW Championship held in Rock Island, Illinois on October 30th.

2010 AUGUSTANA WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY LETTERWINNERS

* Letters earned

(C) – Team captains

HEAD COACH: Fred Whiteside

ASSISTANT COACH: Julio Garcia