Northwestern
Big Ten Championships
Women's Cross Country Places Fifth at Big Tens
10/29/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Oct. 29, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - Led by Rachel Evjen and Laura Evans, both of whom earned second team All-Big Ten honors, the Northwestern women's cross country team finished fifth out of 11 teams at the Big Ten Championships Sunday in Madison. The Wildcats scored 135 points to improve upon their seventh-place finish of a year ago.
Host Wisconsin, ranked third in the latest national poll, took first easily with 34 points as four of its runners placed in the Top 10. It marked the sixth straight title for the Badgers, tying a conference record. Erica Palmer, a Wisconsin junior, won the meet for the second straight year in easy fashion, defeating teammate Bethany Brewster by 20 seconds.
12th-ranked Michigan finished second with 89 points, while 16th-ranked Minnesota was third with 99 points. Illinois placed just ahead of Northwestern, with 116 points.
Evjen ran the 5-kilometer course in 17:45, taking 12th place overall, while Evans was right on her heels in 17:48 to place 14th. The top seven runners in the meet earn first team All-Big Ten, while the runners placing eighth to 14th are second team All-Big Ten.
Freshman Emily Blakeslee was 21st overall in her first Big Ten meet, with a time of 18:02. Karen Rogers was 39th in 18:19, while another freshman, Nora Colligan, closed out NU's scorers with a 49th-place finish in 18:44.
The other Wildcat runners Sunday were Shannon McGowan (55th/18:51), Maria Badaracco (59th/18:58), Nicole Kuznia (77th/19:17) and Sara Jurek (82nd/19:28).
TEAM SCORES
1. Wisconsin, 34 points
2. Michigan, 89
3. Minnesota, 99
4. Illinois, 116
5. NORTHWESTERN, 135
6. Michigan State, 147
7. Indiana, 151
8. Penn State, 201
9. Purdue, 215
10. Ohio State, 240
11. Iowa, 282
NU RUNNERS
12. Rachel Evjen, 17:45
14. Laura Evans, 17:48
21. Emily Blakeslee, 18:02
39. Karen Rogers, 18:19
49. Nora Colligan, 18:44
55. Shannon McGowan, 18:51
59. Maria Badaracco, 18:58
77. Nicole Kuznia, 19:17
82. Sara Jurek, 19:28
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS
1. Erica Palmer, Wisconsin (16:44)
2. Bethany Brewster, Wisconsin (17:04)
3. Susanne Meyer, Penn State (17:23)
4. Ann Somerville, Michigan State (17:25)
5. Allyson Hammond, Indiana (17:32)
6. Elaine Eggleston, Minnesota (17:34)
7. Cecelia Williams, Illinois (17:36)
8. Liz Reusser, Wisconsin (17:37)
9. Darja Vasiljeva, Minnesota (17:38)
10. Stephanie Pesch, Wisconsin (17:41)
