The UCSD women’s cross country team capped off its 2005 season with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, its highest ever result at the event. The Tritons raced to their record-breaking finish against 23 other teams on Nov. 19 at Prado Park in Chino, Calif.
Seven UCSD athletes ran the hilly 6,000-meter course and six of them placed in the top 100, out of 186 total competitors.
Senior Mimi Hodgins, who was named California Collegiate Athletic Association Runner of the Year and was victorious at the NCAA West Regionals, ended her UCSD cross country career with a high finish for the Tritons. Following a season of four first-place finishes, Hodgins placed 23rd overall, with a time of 22 minutes, 14 seconds.
Sophomore Emily McGregor was the next-fastest runner for the Tritons, following Hodgins by 20 seconds good enough for a 35th-place finish. Junior runner Erin O’Donnell placed third for the Tritons and 44th overall, with a time of 22:44.2. Senior Nina Miller finished up her Triton cross country days with a time of 23:51.1, fourth for the Tritons and 88th place overall. Crossing the line just nine seconds later, sophomore Diane Dunn rounded out the top five UCSD runners with her 94th-place finish and a time of 24:00 in the race.
Senior Michelle DiMeo and sophomore Amanda Burkhardt rounded out the Triton squad’s effort. DiMeo ended her career in blue and gold in 100th place with a time of 24:12.5, while Burkhardt was one of six runners who were unable to complete the 6-kilometer course.
The highly competitive championship meet at Cal Poly Pomona hosted teams from around the nation. Mandi Zemba of Grand Valley State was the overall top finisher this year with a time of 21:01.7, distancing herself from her opponents by 11 seconds. Esther Komen of Western State and Victoria Martinez of Adams State followed Zemba, with times of 21:12.9 and 21:13.6, respectively.
Adams State went on to win the team championship title with 54 points and five finishers among the top 40. Grand Valley State settled for the runner-up spot with 69 points. Western State finished in third with 154 points and Chico State placed in fourth with 162 points. Colorado School of Mines filled out the top five with 194 points and Harding University, with 204 points, placed just ahead of the Tritons in the sixth slot.
This year’s victory is the third-straight team title for Adams State and its 11th overall, the most in Division II history. Adams State entered this season tied with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which is now a Division I program, for the most titles overall.
The national championship marks the end of the Tritons’ season, a successful one for the women’s squad, which placed within the top half of each of its seven meets and claimed victories in three. UCSD head coach Ted Van Arsdale, recipient of nine regional cross country Coach of the Year awards, has now led his women’s team to four-straight NCAA national championship appearances. The team finished in 17th place in 2002 and 2004 and in 16th place in 2003.