Freshmen Olivia Johnson (Milford, Iowa) and Charity Miles (Thedford, Neb.) placed first and second, respectively, at the 2007 GPAC Cross Country Championships. The championship were hosted by Doane College and run in Crete, Neb.
Johnson crossed the line in 18:07 to win the individual title, followed by Miles, who finished the 5K race in 18:10. It is the first individual conference championship for a Red Raider runner in the history of the program. Both Johnson and Miles earned all-conference honors by finishing in the top 15 overall. Jen Kempers (Dordt) placed third while two-time defending champion Brittany Hubbard (Nebraska Wesleyan) finished fourth.
The Red Raiders placed third overall with a team score of 78, just one point behind #14 Concordia with 77. Nebraska Wesleyan defended their 2006 title with a team score of 45 to win the 2007 team championship. Morningside (96) and Doane (109) round out the top five teams. All 12 GPAC teams which competed will move on to the NAIA Regional Championship next Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Eight of the nine Red Raider runners finished in the top 50, led by Johnson and Miles. Freshman Sara Hess placed 17th overall with a time of 19:42 and was followed by Steph Powell (23), Lori Wolf (36) and Breann Rozeboom (44). Ingrid Carlson (48), Akacia Wentworth (49) and Steph Korfe (74) were the final Red Raider runners and crossed the finish line in 20:56, 20:59 and 22:01.
Northwestern will next run in the regional championships next Saturday, Nov. 3, in Sioux Falls, S.D.
