Illini women make cross country history

The NCAA national cross country meet is traditionally held on the Monday before Thanksgiving and features the best division I teams and individuals (both men and women) in the country. This year 253 runners and 31 teams were entered in the women's race.

The University of Illinois women finished the race in 5th place and had one runner, Cassie Hunt, in the top ten. Stanford was the overall winner with Colorado in second place. While the finish of the top two teams would surprise no one who follows college cross country, the fact that the Illini made top five is akin to the White Sox winning the World Series. It just doesn't happen.

NCAA division I Cross Country is a grueling, competitive sport and by the end of the regular season many teams are happy just to have made it to Nationals so difficult is it to qualify out of the regionals, never mind expecting to finish near the top. Year in and year out there are the so called glamour programs like Colorado, Stanford, Arkansas, Brigham Young who always do well. For the Illini women to finish 5th in this race is a monumental accomplishment made even better by having three Illinois natives in their top five: Stephanie Sims from South Wilminton out of Gardner High, Katie Coppin from Park Ridge out of Maine South and Maggie Carroll from Brimfield out of Brimfield High.

Picture yourself trying to run 6000 meters as fast as you can in 40 degree weather or worse, over hill and narrow curve all the while battling 253 others who are elbow to elbow and surrounded by thousands, yes thousands of screaming fans. Congratulations to the Illini women for one terrific accomplishment. Another Illinois native, Edwardsville high school alum, Stephen Pifer, was a major part of the Colorado men's team's fifth place finish. (Cross posted at Respublica.)