LIVE OAK CITY, Texas – With eight runners earning all-conference honors, including top honors for first-year runner Elliot Singer, the Colorado College women won their second SCAC women’s cross-country title in the last three years Saturday morning at Live Oak City Park just outside of San Antonio. Results | Official Website | Facebook Photo Album | Interview with Colorado College Head Coach Alex Nichols | Interview with SCAC Runner-of-the-Year Elliot Singer
Over a third (12 of 31) of SCAC women's cross country titles have been decided by 10 or fewer points and this year's was no different as CC held off host Trinity University by just 10 points, 27-37. The two programs have taken turns atop the conference women's cross country mountaintop over the last decade, and after today's result, both now have five team championships to their credit since 2012.
It was first-year Singer who led the charge on this day for Colorado College, crossing the line ahead of the 65-runner field in a time of 22:18.60. The victory earned Singer both SCAC Newcomer- and SCAC Runner-of-the-Year accolades and makes her just the third woman in conference history (and the first in 13 years) to earn ROTY honors as a freshman - joining DePauw University's Lauren Reich, who accomplished the feat in 2006, and Rhodes College's Taylor Stephens, who did so at the 2008 championships.
Singer is the first CC runner to take top honors at the conference championship meet since 2016 when Leah Wessler won the third of her three straight individual titles.
Seven more CC runners earned All-SCAC honors, including sophomore Kendall Accetta who finished third (22:53.40), junior Clare Quinn who placed fifth (22:57.70) and senior Megan Koch who came home seventh (23:12.00). The Tigers took places 11 through 14 to wrap up the final four all-SCAC slots as first-year Posy Vogt was 11th (23:44.70), first-year Sydney Rankin was 12th (23:52.80), senior Emily Dwyer finished 13th (23:55.60) and sophomore Piper Catlin placed 14th (23:57.00). The all-SCAC honors are the third career recognitions for Quinn, Koch and Dwyer and the second for Accetta.
Colorado College is one of six teams to place eight or more runners on the all-SCAC team at one championship, joining the 2013 and 2017 Trinity teams and the 2015 and 2016 CC squads who also placed eight on the all-conference team. The 2012 Trinity team, which posted a perfect score of 15, holds the all-time record with nine all-conference recipients.
Trinity had five runners earn all-SCAC honors at this year's event, including senior Abby Blackwood who paced the Texas Tigers with a fourth-place finish, crossing the line in 22:56.20. Joining Blackwood on the team were teammates junior Elainie Kaster (sixth place; 23:07.60), sophomore Madison Habeck (eighth place; 23:23.50), sophomore Ellie Catron (ninth place; 23:24.40) and junior Anna King (10th place; 23:29.40). Blackwood, Habeck, Catron and King are all repeat all-SCAC honorees.
University of St. Thomas equaled its best-ever finish at the SCAC cross country championships, finishing third with 103 total team points. The Celts were led by first-year Jocelyn Olivarez, who just missed out on all-conference recognition with a 15th-place finish at 23:59.90.
Led by first-year Kristin Lucero's 16th-place finish, Texas Lutheran University was fourth with 109 points. The 2019 SCAC Runner-of-the-Year, senior Anna Wilgenbusch returned after missing last year's event and finished as the individual runner-up (22:45.80) to earn all-SCAC honors and lead the University of Dallas to a fifth-place finish with 127 points. It is Wilgenbusch's third all-SCAC honor in her career.
Rounding out the standings, Schreiner University placed sixth with a score of 174 and Southwestern University finished seventh with 185 points.
2021 Women's Cross Country All-Conference Team
1. Elliot Singer, Colorado College - 22:18.60
2. Anna Wilgenbusch, University of Dallas - 22:45.80
3. Kendall Accetta, Colorado College - 22:53.40
4. Abby Blackwood, Trinity University - 22:56.20
5. Clare Quinn, Colorado College - 22:57.70
6. Elaine Kaster, Trinity University - 23:07.60
7. Megan Koch, Colorado College - 23:12.00
8. Madison Habeck, Trinity University - 23:23.50
9. Ellie Catron, Trinity University - 23:24.40
10. Anna King, Trinity University - 23:29.40
11. Posy Vogt, Colorado College - 23:44.70
12. Sydney Rankin, Colorado College - 23:52.80
13. Emily Dwyer, Colorado College - 23:55.60
14. Piper Catlin, Colorado College - 23:57.00
