The Gustavus women’s cross country team claimed its first ever Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship on Saturday. The Gusties placed first out of 12 teams at the competition held in Como Park in St. Paul. The squad won with 68 points, 12 points in front of second-place St. Olaf.
Gustavus was led at the 5K race by all-conference performers senior Jen Skalko, junior Nicole Petersen, and junior Tasha Pike. Skalko placed second with a time of 18:51. Petersen finished fourth with a time of 18:55. Pike earned all-conference honors for the first time in her career by placing 11th with a time of 19:17. It was the third time that Petersen has earned all-conference honors while Skalko earned all-MIAC honors for the second time in her career, the first time was in 2001. This is the first time in the program’s history that three runners have earned all-conference honors in the same year.
This is the first time since women’s cross country was established as an MIAC sport in 1981 that Gustavus has won the team title. The Gusties’ previous best finish was second in 2001. Last year the team finished fourth.
Head Coach Scott Jerome’s team will continue its season at the NCAA Midwest Regional hosted by Grinnell College on November 15 in Grinnell, Iowa.
MIAC Championships Team Results
- Gustavus 68
- St. Olaf 80
- St. Thomas 105
- Carleton 106
- St. Benedict 133
- Macalester 144
- Hamline 178
- Concordia 228
- St. Mary’s 252
- Bethel 266
- Augsburg 278
- St. Catherine 308
Gustavus Runners
2nd Jen Skalko 18:51
4th Nicole Petersen 18:55
11th Tasha Pike 19:17
24th Ali Cordie 19:35
27th Mollie Lager 19:41
31st Rachel Schwingler 19:51
36th Brianna Vaa 19:56
44th Nicole Olson 20:00
74th Heidi Bulfer 20:31
88th Kirsten DeVries 20:45
90th Hailey Harren 20:46
97th Beth Zirbes 20:57
98th Melissa Kittock 20:57
99th Ashley Farbo 20:58
115th Chandra Daw 21:13
142nd Ingrid Olson 21:35
155th Anah Huggenvik 21:44
161st Emily Trapp 21:49
162nd Krista Cruse 21:50
166th Stacie Bulfer 21:55
170th Erin McCary 21:57
180th Kelly Damrow 22:07
207th Brenna Ress 22:40
268th Emily Naimon 24:56
271st Emily Proehl 25:12
For complete results of the MIAC Championships, click here.