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D1 NCAA XC Championships

Freshmen Shine at NCAA XC Championships

Freshmen Shine at NCAA XC Championships

Nov 23, 2015 by Taylor Dutch
Freshmen Shine at NCAA XC Championships

 
After letting the dust settle from the mayhem of the NCAA Cross Country Championships, one aspect that stuck out from the results was the fact that seven female freshmen and three male freshmen earned All American honors, with four of the ladies being in the top 10 of the race. Boise State’s Allie Ostrander finished runner-up to NCAA Champion Molly Seidel and was followed by a pack of other standout freshmen making their marks on the college scene. 
 
Here’s a full breakdown of each young runner’s performance Saturday in Louisville.
 

Allie Ostrander (Boise State) — 2nd 



The World Junior Mountain Running Champion translated her tough runner skills to NCAA cross country with ease as she won nearly every race she entered this season. Ostrander’s talent was apparent at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational when she took down a hugely competitive field that included nearly every ranked team in the country. She continued her winning streak at the Mountain West Conference Championships and again at the NCAA West Region meet. She missed the NCAA trophy on Saturday as she was unable to match Molly Seidel’s kick at the end of the race, but came away with a runner-up finish in a time of 19:33 over the 6K course. Had she won the NCAA trophy, Ostrander would have been the first freshman to accomplish the feat in 30 years. 
 

Ann Rohrer (Notre Dame) — 6th


The two-time Foot Locker Champion didn’t waste any time making a statement in her first season at Notre Dame. Accompanied by the leadership of her NCAA title-winning teammate, Rohrer fought her way to a sixth-place finish in Louisville, taking down several seasoned All Americans in the process. Rohrer’s season was highlighted by a 12th-place finish at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational, a runner-up finish next to Seidel at the ACC Championships, and a second runner-up finish with her teammate at the NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships. 

Brenna Peloquin (Boise State) — 9th



The young Boise State team contingent showed no signs of inexperience Saturday at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park as Ostrander and Peloquin carried the Broncos as the two best scorers of the meet for the the squad that finished 11th overall. Peloquin positioned herself perfectly throughout the race, starting in the 20th-range at 2K and moving up from there. Peloquin has been a consistent scorer for the Broncos as she earned a ninth-place finish at conference and a fourth place finish in the west region, but the NCAA Championships was by far her greatest accomplishment this season. 
 

Sharon Lokedi (Kansas) —10th

 
Kansas’ front-runner made herself known from the beginning on Saturday as she remained in the top pack throughout the grueling championship race. Lokedi first gained experience on the course after finishing fourth at the Pre-National Invitational in October. The finish shocked fans and even Lokedi herself as she couldn’t believe how high she had placed. Fast-forward to November 21, and Lokedi was running with the confidence of an All American runner who belonged in the front. The aggressive tactics paid off as Lokedi walked away with her first All American honor of her career.  
 

Ednah Kurgat (Liberty) — 12th

 
The Liberty standout executed her first college cross country season with the success of a much older runner as she walked away with top 12 finishes in every race she entered. Starting with the Panorama Farms Invitational, Kurgat finished seventh overall and continued the success with three runner-up finishes in a row at the Pre-National Invitational (black race), the Big South Cross Country Championships, and the NCAA Southeast Region Championships. After competing in both indoor and outdoor track in 2015, the Eldoret, Kenya-born athlete’s performance on Saturday earned her her first All American honor.
 

Caroline Pietrzyk (Vanderbilt) — 32nd

 
Vanderbilt’s young front-runner executed a hard-fought battle on Saturday as the Commodore moved up from 92nd-place at the 2K mark to 32nd-place by the finish line. Pietrzyk’s performance was reflective of a season that was the epitome of an upswing as she finished 35th at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational, third at the SEC Championships, and runner-up at the NCAA South Region Championships. The freshman’s performance helped the Commodores finish 19th overall, the second best finish for the program at the championships. 
 

Tessa Barrett (Penn State) — 38th

 
The Foot Locker Champion came away with her first All American honor of her career Saturday as she finished 38th overall, leading the Nittany Lions to a 16th-place finish in Louisville. Barrett’s All American finish was the program’s first since Caitlin Lane finished 16th in 2011. Barrett’s performance ended a season that included a 12th-place finish at the Big Ten Championships where her team claimed the conference title in an upset win, and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Championships. 

Jonah Koech (UTEP) — 11th


The UTEP youngster became the first freshman to cross the finish line of the men’s race at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday. The Kenyan-born runner finish 11th overall and was the first runner from the UTEP squad to cross the line, four places ahead of NCAA Champion teammate Anthony Rotich who placed 15th overall. Koech has been finishing next to his teammate Rotich all season long, highlighted by a 1-2 punch at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships. 
 

Grant Fisher (Stanford) — 17th



Stanford’s middle-distance ace showed his versatility over the 10K race on Saturday after finishing 17th overall. The performance made him the first American-born runner to receive the All American honor in Louisville. Fisher’s performance was run as a build-up throughout the race, starting in 70th-place at 2K and moving up with each kilometer. Fisher was in 38th-place by halfway, 21st at 8K, and 17th-place by the final stretch. Fisher’s performance enabled him to be the third Stanford runner to cross the line, which helped Stanford earn a third-place team finish. 
 

John Dressel (Colorado) — 26th


 
Colorado had an unexpected point contributor in freshman John Dressel who stepped up tremendously to help the Buffaloes finish second as a team on Saturday. Dressel finished the race in 26th overall, one place behind teammate Morgan Pearson. Dressel was the third Buffalo to cross the line, followed by junior Ben Saarel and senior Connor Winter. Although the Buffaloes were unable to claim their third NCAA team title, Dressel’s performance indicated a great amount of potential for the freshman in the years to come.