2018 Women's Cross Country All-Conference Team (PDF)
Official Great Midwest Women's Cross Country Championship Page
Final Results (PDF)
CANTON, Ohio – Event host Walsh was able to hold off the rest of the field with a strong team performance to capture the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Cross Country Championship 6K race title on Saturday.
The Cavaliers scored 34 points as the program scored five placewinners in the top 12 of the overall results. Walsh ran a total time of 1:55:25.00 with an average of 23:05 to officially spoil Hillsdale’s bid at a repeat team title.
The Chargers were still runner-up as a program in their second year as a conference league member while Cedarville finished third in the team scoring.
It was a happy homecoming from Brianna Coy, a Canton resident and former prep star at GlenOak High School, site of this year’s meet. The senior and two-time Great Midwest Athlete of the Week earned Great Midwest Runner of the Year recognition with a first-place finish.
Coy crossed the tape with over 36 seconds margin of distance between the runner-up as she averaged 5:57.30 per mile. She held off 2017 Great Midwest Freshman of the Year Maryssa Depies of Hillsdale, who ran a 22:48.70.
Coy had plenty of help from her Walsh teammates as junior Andra Lehotay finished fourth and sophomore Alexa Leppelmeier was sixth. All three of those student-athletes landed first team all-conference honors by virtual of top-seven placement.
Additionally, freshman Alyssa Viscounte was 11th and sophomore Claire Robertson was 12th. It was another impressive showing from Rob Mizicko’s program, which is currently tied for 15th in the newest USTFCCCA national poll.
Mizicko was voted by his peers as Great Midwest Coach of the Year, adding to his honors he received from the men’s side in 2017. Both of his men’s and women’s programs are aiming to qualify for nationals.
Hillsdale went into the conference championship ranked 17th to give the league more representation on the national stage.
The women were able to forge through muddy conditions prior to the men’s 8K race. Joining 1-2 Coy and Depies for first team all-conference honors was Arena Lewis (Hillsdale), Lehotay (Walsh), Kayla Casaletto (Cedarville) and Rachel Sweeney (Cedarville)
Second team all-conference honorees were Christina Sawyer (Hillsdale), Gabrielle Lawrence (Findlay), Lily Parsons (Ohio Valley), Alayna Ackley (Cedarville) and Sarah Hoffman (Cedarville). Viscounte and Robertson also received second-team honors in the top 14 finishers.
Lawrence was in the top 10 and ninth overall in her first conference championship experience with a time of 23:24.10. She beat out some really good rookie runners for Great Midwest Freshman of the Year, including Viscounte and Ackley.
The next step in postseason qualification for Great Midwest programs will be competition in a few weeks at the NCAA Midwest Regional, which is hosted by Hillsdale College this season. Teams and individuals will be looking to qualify for the NCAA Championships that will be hosted by Slippery Rock on Dec. 1 in Pittsburgh, Pa., at Schenley Park.