WINNECONNE, Wis. --- University of Lynchburg sophomore Kaitlyn Johnson highlighted the ODAC's contingent of five runners at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships as she earned All-American honors. She is the first All-American in Lynchburg women's cross country history.
More than 550 men's and women's competitors took to the terrain at Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne, Wis., on Saturday morning. The women's six kilometer race kicked off the competition with the men's eight kilometer event following. The top-40 finishers in each race earn All-American recognition.
Johnson's performance marks the first All-American showing by an ODAC women's competitor since Bridgewater College's Olivia Mills placed 26th in Terre Haute, Ind., in 2012. Johnson, who eared ODAC Runner of the Year honors earlier this week, placed 36th overall in Winneconne, posting a time of 21:54.4. That time resets her own Lynchburg program record, set earlier this season at the Inter-Regional Border Battle hosted by Rowan. That time -- 21:54.9 -- marked the first time a Hornets' runner cracked the 22-minute mark on a 6K course.
RELATED: 2018 NCAA Championship Results | All-Time ODAC NCAA Qualifiers
ODAC individual champion Calista Ariel from Bridgewater joined Johnson as the two ODAC women's representatives at the 2018 championships. Ariel capped her strong season with a 93rd-placed finish out of 279 runners at 22:30.3. Paige Lawler from Washington University in St. Louis earned in the individual crown at 20:55.0, a little more than three-seconds ahead of Otterbein University's Claire Lamb (20:58.7) and Centre College's Annie Rodenfels (20:58.9). WashU won the team title with 98 points, just one point clear of second place Johns Hopkins University.
On the men's side of the ledger, three individuals from ODAC schools took to the 8K competition. Back-to-Back ODAC Runner of the Year Jamie Hiegel from Bridgewater College capped his four-time All-ODAC career and third straight NCAA championships appearance with a 59th place showing. The Eagles' senior finished at 25:18.3, his second-best 8K time of the season. Lynchburg sent a pair of Winneconne in senior Tristan Lucy-Speidel and freshman Max Sparks. Lucy-Speidel capped his career 151st of 280 runners at 25:54.1, while Sparks chimed in 172nd at 25:58.1, his best collegiate 8K run.
North Central (Ill.) College's duo of Dhruvil Patel and Al Baldonado finished first and second overall at 24:24.5 and 24:29.7, respectively. Their performance plus two other top-10 showings helped the Cardinals run away with the team title with just 43 points. WashU finished second with 110 points.
For more information on ODAC cross country, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the home of the ODAC at www.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.