Sacramento, Calif.----Wingate University sophomore Franziska Althaus (Wiesbaden, Germany) completes her inaugural Bulldog season with another school record, posting a 6K time of 21:28.2 in the NCAA Division II national championship meet Saturday at the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course (Haggin Oaks lay-out). Althaus finished 75th to pace the Bulldogs to a 31st place team result (out of 34 schools) Saturday.
 
Althaus held the previous 6K record for two weeks, as she posted a time of 21:45.7 in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional race in Wingate Nov. 9. On Saturday, WU graduate student Shona Blades (Glasgow, Scotland) also broke the previous school record with her 6K time of 21:36.9. California State University, Sacramento and the Sacramento Sports Commission served as hosts for the meet.
 
MEET INFORMATION
 
Top five teams: Adams State, Colo. (23 points), Grand Valley State, Mich. (87), Colorado Mines (133), Western Colorado (192), Mary, N.D. (233)
Individual finishers: 260 student-athletes
Location: Arcade Creek Cross Country Course (Haggin Oaks lay-out), Sacramento, Calif.
 
WINGATE'S TOP SEVEN
 
Franziska Althaus (75th overall, 21:28.2 6K)
Shona Blades (93rd, 21:36.9)
Lauryn Tumey (209th, 22:55.2)
Tatjana Mense (230th, 23:26.3)
Zoe Brickley (234th, 23:31.1)
Abby Jeske (237th, 23:34.3)
Julie Diaz (252nd, 24:00.8)

INSIDE THE RACE RESULTS
 
-In addition to the career days from Althaus and Blades, freshman Tatjana Mense (Bremen, Germany) ran a personal-best 6K time of 23:26.3
-Mense was Wingate's number four Saturday
-WU junior Lauryn Tumey (Haw River, N.C.) was the team's third finisher (22:55.2)
-Freshman Zoe Brickley (Wolverhampton, United Kingdom) rounded out Wingate's scorers
-Brickley ran a 23:31.1 6K Saturday
 
NOTABLES
 
-The Bulldogs were making their seventh team trip to the NCAA national championship meet
-Wingate men's soccer alumnus Ted Goslen ('83) and his wife Leah Goslen made the trek from Hercules, California to Sacramento to cheer on the #WUXC Bulldogs
-Goslen streamed video on Facebook Live (from the event) and took multiple post-meet photos with the grateful Bulldog XC student-athletes
-Adams State (Colo.) sophomore Stephanie Cotter (Cork, Ireland) won the race
-Cotter posted a triumphant time of 19:15.5
-Queens University of Charlotte finished 21st, while Flagler was 33rd
-Wingate's 31st place finish put the Bulldogs in front of Southern New Hampshire, Flagler and Seton Hill (Pa.)

QUOTABLES
 
Wingate director of cross country and track and field Matt van Lierop: "We are in the beginning of an exciting future for the Bulldog running squads. The women picked up a school record for Franziska Althaus, along with incredibly valuable experience for the six young women who were running this race for the first time in their careers."                                                                                                                                  
 
"Our one NCAA-experienced woman, Shona Blades, finishes her career in style with a personal-best finish as well as a huge 6K personal record. Coach Pol (Domenech) and I couldn't be more proud of these young harriers …and look forward to what's coming next."
 
Wingate graduate student Shona Blades: "Today's race was everything we expected and more. The race started extremely fast and I think we were all a little surprised at how fast our first mile splits were. As the race went on, I felt relaxed and in the second half of the race I gained a lot of confidence as I started overtaking more people."
 
"When I crossed the finish line, I was in absolute shock seeing my time. This was my last ever collegiate race and I was over the moon to finish my collegiate career with a huge PR and a top-100 finish in the nation. We are all very grateful to our amazing coaches for getting us this far, without them this would never have been possible."
 
NEXT ON THE HORIZON

The Wingate University cross country student-athletes will turn their attention to track and field for the 2020 spring semester. The first indoor meet for the Bulldogs is Jan. 17-18, 2020, when the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold-clad harriers venture to Columbia, S.C. for the USC Gamecock Opener.