BTN.com staff, BTN.com staff, November 22, 2014
Top-ranked Michigan State won its first NCAA Women?s Cross Country Championship on Saturday, as four Spartans recorded top-25 finishes en route to the national title. It marked the third women?s cross country national crown for a Big Ten program and the first since Wisconsin won the NCAA title in 1984 and 1985.
Rachele Schulist led the way for the Spartans, running the 6K race in a time of 19:54.3 to guide her to a fourth-place individual finish. Lindsay Clark placed 11th (20:16.0), while Big Ten Athlete of the Year Leah O?Connor ran to a 17th-place finish (20:20.8). Julia Otwell finished 21st with a time of 20:29.5.
The Spartans compiled 85 points, giving them a 62-point advantage over the rest of the field. Two other Big Ten teams posted top-20 finishes, as Wisconsin placed 10th and Michigan landed in 18th.
The top finisher for the Big Ten was Wisconsin?s Sarah Disanza, who recorded a second-place finish in a time of 19:39.9.
#MSUXC #NationalChampions pic.twitter.com/WTMkh7NZLU
— MSU Track & Field/XC (@MSU_TFXC) November 22, 2014