Contact:
Adam Poklop, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302
Women's Championship Results
Women's Open Race Results
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Nov. 2, 2019) – North Central College women's cross country runner
Dianne Barajas gave her program its first individual conference champion since 2011 on Saturday at the 2019 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship, where the Cardinals ultimately finished second in the team standings.
Barajas clocked a season-best time of 22 minutes and 19.9 seconds to win the conference title in dominant fashion, putting a 10-second gap between Illinois Welseyan's Katie North, her closest pursuer. For her efforts, Barajas was named the CCIW Athlete of the Year.
Jenna Yakesh—a 21st-place finisher a season ago—clocked a time of 22:53.1 for fifth-place and First Team All-CCIW honors alongside Barajas.
Jenna Fiore (23:19.3) was next through the line in fourteenth to claim Second Team All-CCIW honors alongside freshman
Nikki Rong (23:21.5), who finished 16th.
Julie Kupiec (23:41) rounded out the team's scorers in 28th-place.
Just behind her 29th was
Alexis Henz (23:43.3), while
Kathleen Walstrom added a 36th-place finish with a time of 24:02.8.
North Central totaled 64 points in the race, bested by Wheaton College who placed all of its scorers in the top-15 for 47 points. Behind the Cardinals, Elmhurst College finished third with 87 points, followed by Carroll University with 99 points and Illinois Wesleyan University with 125 points.
North Central hosts the Red/White Open on Nov. 7, with race time at St. James Farm set for 3:45 p.m.
