2009 Season Preview

The 2008 season was a successful one for the Northwestern cross country teams. The women’s team finished sixth at the GPAC championship with a roster that featured no seniors within the top 10 runners. One runner, sophomore Charity Miles (Thedford, Neb.), earned all-conference honors with a fourth place finish and qualified for the NAIA championships. In the national meet, Miles just missed out on All-American honors with a 31^st place finish. Also with a youthful squad, the men’s team finished ninth at the shot GPAC championships.

Dale Thompson, a mainstay in both the cross country and track and field programs, begins his 29^th season as the head of the program, along with Nate Wolf, in his sixth season with the program. With several of their top runners coming back, both teams could make a run at the conference title this fall.

Three seniors will provide the women’s team with experience and leadership. Captains Sarah Storm (Sheldon, Iowa) and Ingrid Carlson (Sanborn, Iowa), along with Angela Wiggins (Weiser, Idaho), are all three-year letter winners for the Raiders. Carlson finished in the top 20 in three meets last season and is a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Wiggins moved into the top six by the end of the season last year and has one top-20 finish.

A strong junior class returns for Coach Thompson’s squad, including two-time national qualifier Charity Miles. The 2007 All-American has battled a few injuries and may not compete until mid-season. Sara Hess (Cherokee, Iowa) finished in the top 15 in three meets last year while Jenna Sorensen (Windom, Minn.) finished in the top 20 twice. Breann Rozeboom (Lester, Iowa) and Akacia Wentworth (Springview, Neb.) also return after running in the Raiders’ top seven last year.

Sophomore Teresa Scholten (Larchwood, Iowa) looks to build upon a successful freshman season in which she placed in the top 20 in two meets. A host of newcomers join the team this season, including Leslie Stover (Adrian, Minn), a two-time all-state runner for state champion Adrian High School.

The men’s team will be led by a strong senior class: Kyle Gerhard (Vista, Calif.), Jack Peterson (Walcott, Iowa), Andy Norris (Spirit Lake, Iowa) and Lee Stover (Adrian, Minn.). Peterson was the top runner last season with three top-25 finishes, including a 24^th-place showing at the GPAC championship. Gerhard came on strong last season, finishing in the top 30 in two events.

Sophomores Andrew Johnson (Story City, Iowa) and Adam Verhoef (Pella, Iowa) were consistently in the Raiders’ top seven and look to build on their success from last year.

Three freshmen will look to make an immediate impact: Jesse Baldwin (Spirit Lake, Iowa), Tyler Drenkow (Sheldon, Iowa) and Sean Guthmiller (Orange City, Iowa). All three runners are coming off of outstanding high school careers and were state participants.