November 21, 2005
Cross Country
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STANFORD IS WOMEN'S NATIONAL CHAMPION, TAKING THIRD NATIONAL TITLE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Stanford, the 2005 West Regional Champions, placed three runners in the top 25 to take the NCAA Women’s Cross Country Championship. Johanna Nilsson of Northern Arizona earned individual honors with a race time of 19:33.9, the fastest ever women’s 6K time posted at the LaVerne Gibson Championship Course. This is the third time in the last four seasons that Indiana State University has hosted the national championship race.

Stanford’s national championship is their third in school history, with the others coming in 2003 & 1996. The Cardinal won with a team score of 146.

Nilsson’s course record time is the fastest time on the course since the 2002 NCAA Championship Race, when North Carolina’s Shalane Flanagan posted a time of 19:36.00.

Columbia’s Caroline Bierbaum finished second with a time of 19:46, to back up her third place finish from one season ago.

Notre Dame’s Stephanie Madia finished third individually with a time of 19:48.4. Butler’s Victoria Mitchell was fourth in 19:50.4.

After a dry week of weather leading up to race, this year’s winning time is over 40 seconds faster than the top times posted in 2004 following a week of rainy weather. In 2005, it was sunny but cold as the race get off under mostly sunny skies and with the temperature hovering near 40 degrees.

Following the Cardinal was Colorado, who placed in the top two one year after taking down the national championship on the same course. The Buffalos were second with a team score of 181.

Duke was third in the met with a team score of 185 while Arizona State’s 191 was fourth and Illinois was fifth at 212.

American’s Keira Carlstrom was the top unattached individual in the race with a time of 19:58.1.

Indiana State University will host the 2006 NCAA Cross Country meet, hosting the event for the third consecutive season. The LaVern Gibson Championship Course is a dedicated cross country only facility that hosts numerous high school and collegiate cross country meets throughout the year.