RESULTS (PDF)
2016 G-MAC All-Conference Team (PDF)
CANTON, Ohio – The sixth-ranked Cedarville program extended a dominant run with another impressive showing at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Cross Country Championship on Saturday for its fifth title in as many years.
The Yellow Jackets held off another nationally-ranked squad in meet host Malone as the No. 18 Pioneers competed in their first G-MAC Championship event.
Cedarville fended off Malone and the rest of the seven-team field to remain the league champ since the inaugural fall event in 2012.
A total of 74 women’s runners gave it their all in mid-40 temperatures and varying winds in the 6K race that began at 10:30 a.m.
The top seven finishers were announced as first-team all-conference performers while eighth place through 14th received second-team all-conference distinction. Individual awards were also presented to three different individuals.
The G-MAC Runner of the Year was Cedarville senior Olivia Esbenshade, the G-MAC Freshman of the Year was Malone’s Rachel Wentworth and accepting G-MAC Coach of the Year on behalf of Jeff Bolender was assistant coach Katie Ruhlman.
The Yellow Jackets led all teams with six all-conference runners while Trevecca Nazarene featured three top-10 finishers and Malone had four all-conference performers. 2015 G-MAC Freshman of the Year Taylor Treadway (Alderson Broaddus) also made the all-conference team.
Esbenshade continued her phenomenal fall by winning her first conference meet. Already a two-time G-MAC Athlete of the Week and the owner of the season’s best 6K and 5K times, she finished the course with a time of 22:51.50.
That time ranks seventh best in conference meet history. She also has the sixth-best time when she ran a 22:33.25 as a sophomore in 2014.
Esbenshade maintained a winning pace against Cedarville teammate Carsyn Koch and two-time G-MAC Runner of the Year (2014, 2015) Caroline Hampton from Trevecca Nazarene.
Esbenshade and Koch were part of a core of Yellow Jackets clustered at the top as four of the top five finishers were Cedarville runners. Hailey Blackwell finished fourth and Kayla Casaletto crossed the line in fifth.
The Trojans finished third in the team standings followed by Alderson Broaddus in fourth and Davis & Elkins in fifth to round out the top five. Ohio Valley would finish in sixth, Ursuline settled in seventh and Kentucky Wesleyan placed eighth, in the final scoring.
The postseason continues for the G-MAC institutions at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional that is scheduled for Saturday, November 5, in Evansville, Ind.