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Women's Cross Country

Mitchell First, Titans Fourth At NCAA Midwest Regional

Results

Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) coasted to the finish line as she successfully defended her individual title at the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Midwest Regional held Nov.14 at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne.

Mitchell, who also placed second at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional in 2007, won this year's edition of the 6,000-meter race with a time of 20:51.

Taryn Surtees of Washington University (Mo.) finished second with a time of 21:06, while Jenny Scherer of St. Norbert College placed third in 21:31, Stephanie Perleber of UW-La Crosse fourth in 21:35 and Megan O'Grady of Carroll University fifth in 21:37.

Mitchell is unbeaten in her last four races, with previous victories coming at the WIAC Championship, UW-Oshkosh Invitational and Notre Dame Invitational. She finished second at the Carroll University Invitational and Roy Griak Invitational.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, finished fourth in the team standings with 139 points. The listing is expected to earn the Titans an at-large berth to next Saturday's (Nov. 21) NCAA Division III Championship in Highland Hills, Ohio. Team and individual selections to the national meet will be announced on Sunday (Nov. 15).

Third-ranked UW-Eau Claire tallied 52 points to win the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional for the second straight year. Eighth-ranked Washington University followed in second place with 72 points and 11th-ranked UW-La Crosse in third with 98.

After UW-Oshkosh in the team standings were fifth-place North Central College (Ill.) with 208 points, sixth-place University of Chicago (Ill.) with 237, seventh-place Wheaton College (Ill.) with 251, eighth-place Illinois Wesleyan University with 263, ninth-place UW-Platteville with 272 and 10th-place UW-Stevens Point with 278. A total of 39 teams competed at this year's regional.

UW-Oshkosh's team score was built on the performances of Mitchell, Jennifer Piskor (Jr. • Eagan, Minn.), McKenzie Kelly (Fr. • New Richmond), Cassie Petersen (Jr. • Marinette) and Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens). Piskor finished 23rd among the meet's 273 runners with a time of 22:26, while Kelly placed 25th in 22:31, Petersen 41st in 22:54 and Burk 49th in 23:03.

Other UW-Oshkosh participants at the meet were Brittany Haas (Jr. • St. Charles, Ill.) and Allison Gehl (Jr. • Sherwood). Haas finished 72nd with a time of 23:28 and Gehl 82nd in 23:37.

UW-Eau Claire had three runners listed in the sixth through 10th places as Beth Easker finished sixth in 21:41, Alyssa Sybilrud eighth in 21:42 and Margaret Ho 10th in 21:46. Elizabeth Phillips of Washington University placed seventh in 21:41 and Kerry Devitt of Illinois Wesleyan University ninth in 21:45.