Women's Cross Country | 12/6/2014 1:05:00 PM

Louisville, Ky.----The Wingate University women's cross country team finished 29th (out of 32 teams) in the 2014 NCAA Division II national championship meet Saturday at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park. The Bulldogs defeated Saint Michael's (Vt.), North Georgia and Union (Tenn.) in their fourth team visit to the national championship meet.
 
Wingate sophomore Alyssa Johnson (San Jose, Calif.) topped the Bulldog charts with a 5.78K time of 23:01.0 (the 6K women's course was shortened due to extremely wet conditions this week). Johnson earned 115th place in the 249-runner field. Johnson was the fifth-best finisher from the NCAA Division II Southeast Region.
 
Wingate sophomore Morgan Neher (Sedalia, Colo.) posted a 5.78K time of 23:11.9 for a 128th place finish. Junior Samantha Haering (Chalfont, Pa.) and freshman Valerie Griesche (Ingolstadt, Germany) were next with 5.78K times of 24:22.3 and 24:24.4, respectively.
 
Graduate student Brianna Stevens (Coshocton, Ohio) led the charge for three Wingate seniors participating in their final race in the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold. Stevens recorded a 5.78K time of 24:47.2 to round out Wingate's scoring runners. Senior Austin Hoffman (Valdese, N.C.) and graduate student Tiana Barnes (Winchester, Calif.) were next with 5.78K times of 25:44.4 and 26:20.2, respectively.
 
Grand Valley State (Mich.) won the team title with 50 points, placing individuals in the top three spots. GVSU sophomore Kendra Foley (Noblesville, Ind.) won the individual gold medal with a 5.78K time of 21:05.8. Hillsdale (Mich.), Minnesota-Duluth, Adams State (Colo.) and Augustana (S.D.) round out the top five on the team leader board.
 
From the NCAA Division II Southeast Region, Queens (N.C.) junior Catie Byrd (Zirconia, N.C.) led the way with a 5.78K time of 21:58.5. She finished 32nd on the individual leader board. Byrd's senior teammate Megan Wright (Orab, Ohio) was 47th. Montevallo (Ala.) sophomore Cheyenne Thompson (Chelsea, Ala.) was 66th, while Mars Hill senior Jessica Viscusi (Bryson City, N.C.) was 88th.
 
Wingate returns 10 runners for the 2015 campaign, led by All-SAC and All-Southeast Region performer Johnson. Neher (first team), Haering (second team) and Griesche (second team) joined Johnson on the 2014 All-SAC teams. Wingate will host the 2015 and 2017 Southeast Regional men's and women's cross country meets at the WU Cross Country Facility. The Bulldogs have hosted six previous regional cross country meets (2004-09).
 
Wingate women's XC
NCAA history
 
Individual participation (site)
2003 – Natalie Creech Topper (Cary, N.C.)
2006 – Amber Hines (Pensacola, Fla.)
2012 – Keeley Wood (Joplin, Mo.)
 
Team participation
2004 – Evansville, Ind.
2007 – Joplin, Mo.
2013 – Spokane, Wash.
2014 – Louisville, Ky.