Gustavus Adolphus junior Hailey Harren (Cold Spring, Minn.) captured the individual title at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships held Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Methodist Theological School and the Dornoch Golf Club in Delaware, Ohio. Harren outdistanced runner-up Julia Rudd of UW-LaCrosse by 8 seconds. Harren, who picked up her sixth individual title of the season, ran side-by-side with Rudd through the first four kilometers, but began to build a lead over the final 1.5 kilometers, traversing the 6-kilometer course in a time of 21:52.9. Gustavus senior Kourtney Joyce (Wadena, Minn.) finished 55th in a time of 23:19.20.
Harren is the second Gustavus cross country runner to capture an individual NCAA Championship. Sarah Edmonds also captured the title in 1992. Harren completed a “trifecta” of sorts this season, capturing the MIAC Championship, the Central Region Championship and the NCAA Championship. Harren also won titles at Saint John’s, St. Olaf, and Wartburg this season and finished second at the Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota.
Harren was named Division III National Female Athlete of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) following the Championships. Harren also received MIAC Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors as well as Division III Central Region Female Athlete of the Year honors from the USTFCCCA.