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Cross Country Runner Sets North Park Record
DAVENPORT, IA (November 4, 2005) - North Park junior Shannon McInnis earned
women's cross country All-Conference honors last Saturday (October 29),
when she set a school record and personal best time of 22:24 in the CCIW
Championships.
The team finished sixth out of eight teams, including nationally ranked
Wheaton and North Central. It was the best finish for the Vikings since
1997.
"The CCIW is one of the best NCAA Division III conferences in the
country," said head coach Tracey Murnane. "By placing sixth, we have
made a huge gain, and this is our first step in establishing North Park
University as a championship contender."
McInnis broke the previous North Park record of 22:26 set by Grace
Conrad in 2003. She broke the record while shaving 57 seconds of her
personal best, which she set October 14 at the Millikin Classic.
"Shannon ran a gutsy race," says Murnane. "The leaders, which included
previous national qualifiers and NCAA Division III All-Americans, went
out very hard and she ran right with them."
"Shannon is very hard working and dedicated to the sport," add Murnane.
"It's great to see her efforts pay off."
In addition to McInnis, senior Allison Weller ran a personal best of
23:35 to place 24th. Seniors Becky Gritter and Kari Thompson placed 34th
and 41st with times of 24:03 and 24:39. Freshman Tiffany Schwartz
rounded out the top five, placing 53rd with a time of 26:19. Other North
Park University finishers were senior Liz Podczaski (53rd 27:49),
freshman Laura Papageorgiou (56th 28:18), newcomer Elise Lindell (29:12
40th open), and junior Amy Peters (32:27 48th open).
Murnane praised the team for its constant improvement. "Out of nine
runners we had six personal bests, and that's all I can ask for."
The Lady Vikings will take next week to rest in order to prepare for the
NCAA Division III Midwest Regional in Peoria, IL, on November 12. The
women's 6k race is at 11:00 am and the men's 8k race begins at noon.
In other sports news:
The Viking men's soccer team clinched the top seed in the CCIW
tournament that began Wednesday by defeating Elmhurst 3-0 last week. The
Vikings took on Carthage at 7 p.m. at Holmgren Athletic Complex.
The Vikings improved their record to 5-1-1 in conference play, while the
Bluejays dropped to 5-1-1. Although Elmhurst and North Park have
identical records, the Vikings earned the top spot because they defeated
Elmhurst.
To clinch the top seed, P.J Eriksson scored two goals, and Matt Moncado
also put the ball in the net. Elmhurst is the second seed and will host
Wheaton.
The Viking football team fell to Illinois Wesleyan 21-7 Saturday at the
Holmgren Athletic Complex. The Vikings were able to move the ball and
controlled the time of possession 35:24 to 24:36 but struggled to finish
with points. The Vikings (0-5, 3-5) took advantage of excellent field
position late in the first quarter when quarterback Mike Haehn connected
with a wide open Chris Wada in the corner of the end zone for an 18-yard
touchdown. The extra point was good, and the Vikings led 7-0.
The Titans (2-3, 3-5) finished with 21 unanswered points. Fifty-nine
proved to be an unlucky number for the Vikings, as the Titans scored
twice on plays from their own 41 yard line. On the first play of the
second quarter, Titan quarterback Tom Kudyba escaped a Viking blitz and
threw a perfect pass to Jordan Musselman for a 59 yard touchdown. Later
in the quarter, again with the ball on the Titan 41, Marcus Dunlop cut
through the line and headed 59 yards for the team's second touchdown. In
the fourth quarter, Kudyba connected with Martin Ceisel in the end zone
on a 38-yard-pass.
Haehn was 22 of 43 for 255 yards and one touchdown. Sherman Gant led all
receivers with nine catches for 132 yards. Wada had five receptions for
73 yards. Ahkeem Waterford led Viking rushers with 58 yards on 15
carries, and Mujahid Aziz picked of two Kudyba's passes.
Total yardage was nearly even for both teams, with the Vikings holding
the edge 350-322. The Vikings out-distanced the Titans in the air 255
yards to 144. The Titans carried the ground game, however, 178 yards to 95.
The Vikings next take on Wheaton (3-2, 6-2) at the Holmgren Athletic
Complex at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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