Women's Cross Country At NCAC Championship Meet

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Mary Beth Lintz

The Wittenberg men's and women's cross country teams will put the wraps on the 2004 season at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional meet hosted by Alma College on Saturday. If any Tiger runners are able to substantially drop their times this weekend and qualify for the NCAA Division III Championship meet, they would advance to race at Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Nov. 20. Just one athlete in Wittenberg history has reached the national meet - Abi Gerstle in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

In the North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet on Oct. 30 at Allegheny, the Tiger men finished ninth out of 10 teams and the Tiger women came in eighth out of nine teams. For the men, freshman Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) led the way with a 28th-place with a time of 28.54. Junior Chris Petrik (Highland Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) captured 47th in 29:45, freshman Shawn Hils (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) took 57th in 30:55, freshman Jon Dewald (Mansfield, Ohio/Senior) chipped in with 60th in 31:49 and freshman David Wallingford (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) rounded out the scorers with a time of 31:53, good for 61st place.

For the women, freshman Mary Beth Lintz (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) paced the Tigers once again, putting her atop the team's finishers in all but one race this season. She took 48th place in 26:54. Freshman Alissa Goble (Sunfield, Mich./Lakewood) took 50th in 27:11, sophomore Sarah Yehle (West Lafayette, Ind./West Lafayette) finished 51st in 28:03, sophomore Meredith Deitsch (Edgerton, Ohio/Edgerton) wound up 52nd in 28:03 and junior Megan O'Neil (Carroll, Ohio/Bloom-Carroll) rounded out the scorers with a time of 28:11, good for 54th.