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December 1, 1999

2009 Season - 1999 Women's Cross Country Review

VIKINGS FALL SHORT IN ATTEMPT TO EXTEND CCIW & NCAA STREAKS; SENIOR ANGELA CROWLEY QUALIFIES FOR NATIONAL MEET

The Augustana Vikings women's cross country team, coached by Fred Whiteside and Doug Sand, put forth valiant efforts in the final two meets of the season but fell just short in accomplishing two main goals. The Vikings had won three straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships and had qualified for the last two NCAA Division III national meets.

Those streaks came to an end but it was not from lack of effort. The Vikings finished third in the CCIW meet that was held at Maxwell Park in Normal, Illinois on October 30. Wheaton won the team title with 28 points while North Central was second with 59 and Augustana placed third with 61. Sophomore Christina Gamzer (Whitnall HS, Greenfield, WI) led the team at the CCIW meet with an eighth place finish in a time of 19:31 over 5000 meters. Gamzer had been hurt during the early portion of the season and she didn't run her first race until October 16. A year ago Gamzer had earned NCAA Division III All-America honors. Senior Angela Crowley (Normal University HS, Bloomington, IL) was right behind Gamzer in the CCIW meet with a ninth place finish and a time of 19:36.

Also contributing at the conference meet were freshman Erin Fiene (York HS, Elmhurst, IL) - 13th in 19:44; junior Lauren Habenicht (Lemont HS, Lemont, IL) - 15th in 19:50; freshman Julie Cassata (Plainfield HS, Plainfield, IL) - 16th in 19:52 and junior Liz Stoppel (Oswego HS, Oswego, IL) - 18th in 19:57.

At the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional meet, the Vikings came up just shy of grabbing fifth place which was the final qualifying spot for the national meet. Augustana was attempting to qualify for the national meet for the third straight year. Crowley proved her mettle by placing 23rd and grabbing one of the last individual qualifying spots. Crowley covered the 5000-meter course at Highland Springs Golf Course in a time of 18:57. As a team, the Vikings placed sixth with a score of 172 points as Wisconsin-Whitewater took the fifth and final qualifying slot with 158 points.

The Vikings had a tremendous year, winning the North Park Invitational, the Mount St. Clare Invitational and the Loras Invitational while placing third in the Valparaiso Invitational and the Lamb-Kohawk Invitational.

1999 COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP

October 30, 1999

Maxwell Park

Normal, Illinois

TEAM SCORES

INDIVIDUAL TOP TEN