Michigan State University
NCAA Championships
Spartans Fade To 30th At NCAA Championship
11/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Nov. 21, 2005
Terre Haute, Ind. - The Michigan State women's cross country team wrapped up the 2005 season with its fifth-straight trip to the NCAA championship meet on Monday, Nov. 21. The Spartans were unable to duplicate last season's top-fifteen finish and placed a disappointing 30th with a team score of 671. Junior Michelle Rafferty (Carmel, Ind.) was the team's top runner, finishing 92nd overall in a time of 21:20. The Stanford Cardinal captured first-place in the team competition, while Northern Arizona's Johanna Nilsson won the individual championship in a time of 19:34.
"We would have liked to place better," said Head Coach Rita Arndt-Molis. "Still, qualifying for nationals for the fifth-straight year says a lot about what were trying to build here at Michigan State."
Sophomores Lisa Senakiewich (113th) (Davison, Mich.) and Katie Kelly (120th) (Port Austin, Mich.) turned in respective times of 21:34 and 21:41 for the Green and White. Senior Brittany Ballard (Midland, Mich.) capped her collegiate cross country career with a 169th place finish, posting a time of 22:10. Michigan State's Jennifer Hamilton (Battle Creek, Mich.) rounded out the MSU scoring by running a 22:17 to close out her stellar freshman campaign with a 177th place finish.
The Spartans, who ran without standout freshmen Laura Malnor (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Michelle Mercer (Muskegon, Mich.) due to injuries were beaten by four conference rivals. Illinois was the highest-finishing Big Ten team, placing fourth, one spot ahead of Michigan who rounded out the top-five. Minnesota placed ninth, while Wisconsin finished 20th.
"Its one of the keys to this sport," Arndt-Molis said. "Obviously, you hope to have your top-seven runners healthy at the end of the season. It doesn't always work out that way, but we got a great team effort from some girls who might not have expected to be in the position they were in. That was huge for us this season."
Michigan State will enter the 2006 fall season with a legitimate chance at its sixth-consecutive bid to nationals. The Spartans will graduate just three seniors from this years squad, of which only Ballard saw action in a scored meet this season.
"With so many girls coming back," said Arndt-Molis, "and two incoming freshmen who we expect to contribute right away, I think we set up nicely for 2006."
Players Mentioned
