Complete women's results
Complete men's results
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – One is fun. Twice is nice. But a three-peat is hard to beat.
Jessica Pixler is hard to beat, too.
The Seattle Pacific senior proved it again on Saturday as she ran to her history-making third straight NCAA Division II women’s cross country championship. Pixler cruised along the 6-kilometer University of Southern Indiana Cross Country Course in 20 minutes, 22.6 seconds. It was the closest of her three title victories, as Western Washington junior Sarah Porter was second in 20:30.1.
“Neely Spence (of Shippensburg State, last year’s runner-up to Pixler) was with me until about the 4K mark, but then she kind of died,” Pixler said. “It was just kind of me finishing. It put a surge on the hill, and I think that helped. That was kind of a turning point.”
The Falcons celebrate their fourth-place finish at the NCAA meet.
And in keeping with that theme of threes, the Falcon women captured their third straight team trophy. As the case last year, this was the fourth-place model, and SPU claimed it by beating West Region rivals Alaska Anchorage and Chico State. Seattle Pacific finished with 151 points.
Adams State of Colorado won its seventh straight title, posting the day’s low total of 73 points. Grand Valley State of Michigan was second with 81, followed by Missouri Southern in third with 104. Alaska Anchorage, which dominated both the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and the West Region championships, wound up fifth with 158. Chico State, the top-ranked team in the country for a stretch of the season, placed sixth with 172.
“It was nice to see how everything came together,” SPU coach Erika Daligcon said. “Last night, we had such a great meeting and talked about the focus going into today and what this means to them. This morning, we said that you just have to remember what we talked about. I said, ‘You guys know how to race, and you’ve raced these people before.”
From right, Jane Larson, Natty Plunkett and Suzie Strickler approach the finish line.
The Falcons packed three runners within one second of each other. Seniors Suzie Strickler (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) and Jane Larson (Fall City, Wash./Cedar Park Christian HS) were the Nos. 2 and 3 Falcon finishers in their final career cross country races. Strickler was 46th overall in 22:11.5, and Larson was 47th, just half a second back. Sophomore Natty Plunkett (Bellevue, Wash./Newport HS) was right with them, taking 49th in 22:12.5.
Senior Kate Harline (Orem, Utah) rounded out the SPU scoring by finishing 62nd in 22:24.8.
Strickler’s finish capped a senior season that was on hold for a year while she recovered from a major foot injury suffered while on a mission trip in 2008.
“Going into it, I had a goal of staying with Natty, Kate and Lisa (Anderberg), and I was able to stick with them,” Strickler said. “I felt like I gave it my all and pushed through the harder parts and stayed focused.”
A VERY SELECT GROUP
Pixler (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake HS) joined an elite group of three-time NCAA cross country champions, and is the first in Division II to win that many. The other three-time winners were Sally Kipeygo of Texas Tech (2006-07-08 in Division I) and Missy Buttry of Wartburg (2002-03-04 in Division III). She now has nine NCAA championships: three in cross country, four in indoor track and two in outdoor track.
Prior to nationals, Pixler completed a four-year sweep of the GNAC and the West Region championships.
“It’s kind of funny after having it happen -- you realize more and more it wasn’t about winning the title,” Pixler said. “So much of the journey was about spending time with teammates and family and coaches.”
Of her three crowns, Pixler said last year’s ranks as her favorite because of her comeback from a major stress fracture injury.
“The moment I came across the line and saw my mom there crying, that’s something you hold in your heart for the rest of your life.”
Added Daligcon, “To go out there and make (D-2) history, that’s pretty special. It just speaks to the work. She’s definitely talented, but she has put in all those hours of work.”
Seattle Pacific came into the meet ranked No. 6 nationally in the final U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association poll. The Falcons wound up beating two of the teams ranked ahead of them: No. 3 Anchorage and No. 5 Chico.
“That’s better than winning a national title. A fourth-place finish is fabulous,” Pixler said. “We had some people really go for it, and it was one of those races where everyone took risks.
“I can say without a doubt,” Pixler added, “that everyone gave it our best shot today.”
NCAA Women's Cross Country
NCAA Division II Championships
Saturday, November 21, 2009
6K University of Southern Indiana/Evansville, Ind.
Team scores -- 1, Adams State 73; 2, Grand Valley Sate 81; 3, Missouri Southern 104; 4, Seattle Pacific 151; 5, Alaska Anchorage 158; 6, Chico State 172; 7, Minnesota-Duluth 294; 8, Western Washington 300; 9, Western State 306; 10, Tampa 308; 11, Ferris State 314; 12, Southern Indiana 322; 13, Augustana (S.D.) 350; 14, Kutztown 355; 15, Shippensburg 357; 16, Stonehill 367; 17, Bloomsburg 391; 18, Mary 413; 19, Harding 441; 20, Queens (N.C.) 467; 21, Metro State 490; 22, Dallas Baptist 526; 23, Massachusetts-Lowell 587; 24, Columbus State 603.
Top 10 -- 1, Jessica Pixler (SPU) 20:22.6; 2, Sarah Porter (WWU) 20:30.1; 3, Ashley Siler (Mo. Sthrn) 20:43.6; 4, Kimi Shank (Mo. Sthrn) 20:44.5; 5, Mary Ballnger (S. Ind.) 20:45.9; 6, Morgan Place (Minn-Du) 20:53.0; 7, Vivien Wadeck (CSULA) 21:02.8; 8, Priscilla Jennings (Millersville) 21:05.8; 9, Alicia Nelson (Adams) 21:07.8; 10, Sydney Laws (Colo. Mines) 21:08.6.
Other SPU placers -- 46, Suzie Strickler 22:11.5; 47, Jane Larson 22:12.0; 49, Natty Plunkett 22:12.5; 62, Kate Harlne 22:24.8; 80, Lisa Anderberg 22:43.5; 163, Mary Wiliams 24:15.3.