Wittenberg University Athletics - Cross Country 2005 News Releases

Men's and Women's Cross Country
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2005 News Releases

All Releases Written by: Ryan Maurer
Director of Sports Information
E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu

November 22, 2005

Thirty-Four Wittenberg Student-Athletes Earn Fall Sport Postseason Awards
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Another banner fall sports season has reaped rich rewards for 34 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks, and a number of those individuals have also claimed regional and national awards. Read More...

November 14, 2005

Anna Finkelstein

The Wittenberg men's and women's cross country teams put the finishing touches on the 2005 season last week at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional championship meet. The meet was hosted by Wilmington College.

No Tiger runners qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championship meet, which is scheduled for Nov. 17 at Ohio Wesleyan University. The Tiger women finished 24th in the 31-team field 677 team points. Freshman Erin Hedrick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) topped the women's finishers, placing 94th in a time of 23:47. The next Wittenberg finisher was senior Anna Finkelstein (Whitehall, Mich./Reeths-Puffer), who crossed the finish line in 24:30, good for 130th place.

The Tiger men finished 27th in a 34-team field 756 team points. Sophomore Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) rounded out his second season in the Red & White with yet another top finish among Tiger runners, placing 86th in 26:59. Echols has now led Wittenberg in every meet the last two years. The Tigers' next-best finisher was sophomore Shawn Hils (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood), who crossed the tape in 27:49, good for 140th place.

Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page.

Next: Season Complete

November 4, 2005

Chris Petrik

The Wittenberg men’s and women’s cross country teams ran hard, but they didn’t finish as well as Head Coach Steve Shutt had hoped last week at the North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet. Denison, which won the women’s title, hosted the meet as the Tigers placed eighth in the women’s competition and ninth in the men’s competition, both for a second straight year.

The Tigers will wrap up the 2005 season at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championship meet Nov. 12 at Wilmington. Wittenberg’s runners would have to drop substantial amounts of time to advance to the national meet, which is scheduled for the following weekend at Ohio Wesleyan.

The Tiger women finished with 215 team points, well behind seventh place Wooster. Freshmen Erin Hedrick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) and Abby McCutcheon (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) led the way for the Tigers, which put all five scoring runners in the top 50. Hedrick finished 34th in a time of 25:52, while McCutcheon was 41st in 26:09.

The Tiger men finished with 255 team points, also well behind seventh place Wooster. Two runners placed in the top 50 as sophomore Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) placed 40th in 28:31 and senior Chris Petrik (Highland Heights, Ohio/Mayfield Heights) crossed the finish line in 29:08, good for 50th place.

Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page.

Next: 11/12 NCAA Great Lakes Regional @ Wilmington

October 27, 2005

Busy Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Ahead for Wittenberg Athletic Teams

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University is always a busy place during its annual Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, especially in and around the athletic complex. The 2005 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend may well be the topper. Read More...

October 20, 2005

Erin Hedrick

The Wittenberg men's and women's cross country teams tuned up for the 2005 North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet on Oct. 29 with one of the best overall performances in several years. The Tiger men placed ninth in a deep field at the Wilmington Fall Classic, while the Tiger women stood seventh when the meet concluded.

Sophomore Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) was again the men's team's top finisher, crossing the finish line in a personal best time of 27:28. That was good for a 31st place finish. He was followed closely by freshman Gabe Savage (Lewisburg, Ohio/Tri-County North), who also had a personal best time as he hit the finish line in 27:51.

On the women's side, the improvement continues to show. Freshman Erin Hedrick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) nearly reached her season-best time, finishing 21st in a field of 139 runners in a time of 20:53. She was followed by freshman Abby McCutcheon (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster), who reached the finish line in 21:21. That was good for 33rd place.

The Tigers now have a week off to get ready for the NCAC Championship meet, which will be hosted by Denison. Wittenberg is hoping to move up from an eighth place finish for the women and a ninth place finish for the men in 2004.

Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page.

Next: 10/29 NCAC Championships @ Denison

October 13, 2005

Jessica Rizzo

The Wittenberg men's and women's cross country teams ran well in the biggest race - in terms of the size of the field - they will take part in all year. Among NCAA Division III schools, Wittenberg's men finished 15th in the 20-team field at the All-Ohio Championships at Ohio Wesleyan on Friday. The Tiger women placed 13th out of 20 teams.

Both finishes were significant improvements over 2004, and the Tigers were competitive with most of the other NCAC schools in the fields.

The Tiger men put three runners in the top 90, led by sophomore Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North), who placed 71st in a time of 29:11. Freshman Gabe Savage (Lewisburg, Ohio/Tri-County North) placed 80th in 29:35 and senior Chris Petrik (Highland Heights, Ohio/Mayfield Heights) added an 86th place finish as he covered the 8K course in a time of 29:54.

All five Tiger runners on the women's side who scored in the meet placed in the top 90 and three broke the 22-minute barrier on the 5K course. Freshman Jessica Rizzo (Benningtor, Ind./South Dearborn) led the way for the first time this year, crossing the finish line in a time of 21:19. She was followed by senior Anna Finkelstein (Whitehall, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) in 68th place in 21:34 and freshman Erin Hedrick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) in 74th place in 21:47.

The final tune-up for the North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet at Denison on Oct. 29 takes place Friday at Wilmington. The Tigers then have a week off.

Details about the Tigers' season can be in links on the team's schedule/results page.

Next: 10/14 @ Wilmington

October 4, 2005

Abby McCutcheon

The Wittenberg men’s and women’s cross country teams are heading into the stretch run of the 2005 season with what the runners and Head Coach Steve Shutt hope can be considered a head of steam. In the last two weeks, the Tigers have prepped with solid finishes in deep fields at the Maroon Invitational at Roanoke College and at the Quaker Invitational at Earlham College.

This week, the Tigers will get a good idea of where they stand in the North Coast Athletic Conference and the Great Lakes Region when they compete in the All-Ohio Championships on Friday at Ohio Wesleyan University. Seven of the 10 schools in the NCAC will be in action in the huge annual meet in nearby Delaware.

On the men’s side, sophomore Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) continues to lead the charge. He has finished first among Tiger runners in every meet of his collegiate career, including the last two weeks at Roanoke and Earlham. He has two top-five finishes on the season - in the Wittenberg Invitational at John Bryan State Park and at the Broughton Invitational at Marietta College - with his best time of 28:00 recorded in the home meet. Sophomore Mike Wismer (Avon, Ohio/Avon) was the second Tiger finisher in the first four meets, while sophomore Shawn Hils (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) took team runner-up honors at Earlham.

On the women’s side, the last two meets have featured freshmen Abby McCutcheon (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) and Jessica Rizzo (Benningtor, Ind./South Dearborn) in the top two spots. McCutcheon has led Wittenberg in four of the five meets so far this season, and freshmen have accounted for three of the team’s five scorers in each of the five events. Freshman Erin Hedrick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) led Wittenberg in the first meet of the year, and she has continued to run well despite some struggles due to illness.

Details about the Tigers' season can be in links on the team's schedule/results page. Next: 10/7 @ Ohio Wesleyan

September 23, 2005

Mike Echols

Mike Echols

The Wittenberg men’s and women’s cross country teams have the depth and talent to compete better in 2005 than they have in recent years, and through the first three meets of the campaign it shows. After both teams finished fourth in the five-team Franklin Invitational to open the season on Sept. 3, the men and women have both finished in the top half of the last two meets, including last week’s Marietta Broughton Invitational.

Sophomore Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) is the story for the men’s team as he continues to pace the squad in every meet. A year after leading Wittenberg in every race and several months after earning All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors for his performance at the 2005 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Echols has been in the top 10 at Franklin, the Wittenberg Invitational and at Marietta already this year. He is aiming to become the first Wittenberg men’s runner to earn all-conference status in cross country in three years.

On the women’s side, a pair of freshmen have done the same thing that two now-sophomores did a year ago - lead the team in two of the first three races. Freshmen Abby McCutcheon (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) and Erin Hedrick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) have consistently set the pace for the Tigers in 2005, followed closely by sophomores Mary Beth Lintz (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) and Alissa Goble (Sunfield, Mich./Lakewood). Several other Tiger runners have also scored in 2005, showing the kind of depth necessary to compete with the top teams in the NCAC.

Details about the Tigers' season can be in links on the team's schedule/results page.

Next: 9/24 @ Roanoke

September 9, 2005

Wittenberg Cross Country Teams Host 2005 Invitational Meet Saturday At John Bryan State Park
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University men's and women's cross country teams continue the 2005 season with the annual Wittenberg Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 10, at John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Three schools - Muskingum College, Wilmington College, Central State University and Wittenberg - are scheduled to compete in the event, which starts with the men's eight-kilometer race at 10:30 a.m. and concludes with the women's five-kilometer race at 11:15 a.m. Read More ...

August 23, 2005

Wittenberg Picked To Finish Eighth in Women's and Ninth in Men's Cross Country in 2005
CLEVELAND, Ohio — For the third consecutive year, Allegheny topped the men's poll, and Denison returned to the top after a two-year absence in the women's after annual preseason balloting by North Coast Athletic Conference cross country coaches. Read More ...

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