Official Results
2021 Great Midwest All-Conference Team (PDF)
CEDARVILLE, Ohio – Already nationally and regionally ranked, Cedarville’s program lived up to high expectations on its home course by taking home the title at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Cross Country Championship on Saturday morning.
The Yellow Jackets had clusters of student-athletes, including four in the top 10, among their top seven finishers to end an alternating streak between Hillsdale and Walsh in recent history.
Cedarville’s depth and the overall strength of the conference was on full display with several of the top teams in a stacked Midwest Region according to the USTFCCCA.
Cedarville’s celebration included a total team time of 1:58:00.00 with senior Bethany Sholl leading the way in fifth place. Sholl was one three Yellow Jackets to go back-to-back-to-back in the standings along with sophomore teammate Naomi Herman and senior Rachel Sweeney.
Those four received all-conference first team honors as the lead pack really pushed the pace at the Elvin R. King Course following the men’s 8K race.
Junior Hannah Rhem also posted a top-10 finish while Remington Hobson and Alayna Ackley each secured all-conference status for head coach Jeff Bolender.
Bolender was voted by his peers in the league as Great Midwest Coach of the Year for women’s cross country. He has pushed the program to a No. 16 ranking nationally and a No. 4 billing in the Midwest Region. Bolender has been coach of the Yellow Jackets for all 10 years Cedarville has been a member of the Great Midwest as the league continues to celebrate its 10-year anniversary.
The Great Midwest Runner of the Year was Walsh sixth-year senior Alexa Leppelmeier, who has sustained a fantastic fall campaign with a first-place finish on Saturday. Already having been named athlete of the week multiple times this season, it was a feather in the cap for Leppelmeier, who also doubles as an indoor/outdoor track and field standout in different events.
Leppelmeier toured the 6K course with a time of 21:19.70 which ranks in the top 25 all-time in conference history and is the 11th-fastest championship time.
She pulled away from a strong group that earned first team all-conference status including two-time conference runner of the year Mackenna Curtis-Collins, Hillsdale’s Liz Wamsley and Tiffin’s Ines Macadam.
The Great Midwest Freshman of the Year was Ursuline’s Emma Esteves, who earned second team all-conference honors following her 12th-place finish. Esteves was the top place winner among student-athletes with freshman status who did not compete in the 2020 Great Midwest Championship race at Tiffin’s Seneca Hills Golf Course.
The Elite 25 Award was presented to Kentucky Wesleyan junior Shannon Ruble, who has a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in Zoology. The Elite 25 Award is a prestigious honor going to the highest cumulative GPA among all entered participants with at least sophomore classification athletically and academically. Each institution is allowed (1) nominee per gender.
Cedarville won its first team title since 2016 and this was the first time hosting since the 2013 Great Midwest Championship meet. The Yellow Jackets also claimed top team honors in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 – a remarkable five-year streak.
This year, Walsh finished as team runner-up in the standings while Hillsdale was third, Malone was fourth and Findlay came in fifth. Tiffin, Ursuline and first-year league member Ashland, followed in order. Teams will now start preparation for the NCAA Midwest Regional in Evansville, Ind., at Angel Mounds before some programs/individuals will eventually punch their ticket to nationals that will be conducted in Florida hosted by Saint Leo University.