The team finished sixth out of eight teams, including nationally ranked Wheaton and North Central. It was the best finish for the Vikings since 1997.
“The CCIW is one of the best NCAA Division III conferences in the country,” said head coach Tracey Murnane. “By placing sixth, we have made a huge gain, and this is our first step in establishing North Park University as a championship contender.”
McInnis broke the previous North Park record of 22:26 set by Grace Conrad in 2003. She broke the record while shaving 57 seconds of her personal best, which she set October 14 at the Millikin Classic.
“Shannon ran a gutsy race,” says Murnane. “The leaders, which included previous national qualifiers and NCAA Division III All-Americans, went out very hard and she ran right with them.”
“Shannon is very hard working and dedicated to the sport,” add Murnane. “It’s great to see her efforts pay off.”
In addition to McInnis, senior Allison Weller ran a personal best of 23:35 to place 24th. Seniors Becky Gritter and Kari Thompson placed 34th and 41st with times of 24:03 and 24:39. Freshman Tiffany Schwartz rounded out the top five, placing 53rd with a time of 26:19. Other North Park University finishers were senior Liz Podczaski (53rd 27:49), freshman Laura Papageorgiou (56th 28:18), newcomer Elise Lindell (29:12 40th open), and junior Amy Peters (32:27 48th open).
Murnane praised the team for its constant improvement. “Out of nine runners we had six personal bests, and that’s all I can ask for.”
The Lady Vikings will take next week to rest in order to prepare for the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional in Peoria, IL, on November 12. The women’s 6k race is at 11:00 am and the men’s 8k race begins at noon.
In other sports news:
The Viking men’s soccer team clinched the top seed in the CCIW tournament that began Wednesday by defeating Elmhurst 3-0 last week. The Vikings took on Carthage at 7 p.m. at Holmgren Athletic Complex.
The Vikings improved their record to 5-1-1 in conference play, while the Bluejays dropped to 5-1-1. Although Elmhurst and North Park have identical records, the Vikings earned the top spot because they defeated Elmhurst.
To clinch the top seed, P.J Eriksson scored two goals, and Matt Moncado also put the ball in the net. Elmhurst is the second seed and will host Wheaton.
The Viking football team fell to Illinois Wesleyan 21-7 Saturday at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The Vikings were able to move the ball and controlled the time of possession 35:24 to 24:36 but struggled to finish with points. The Vikings (0-5, 3-5) took advantage of excellent field position late in the first quarter when quarterback Mike Haehn connected with a wide open Chris Wada in the corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown. The extra point was good, and the Vikings led 7-0.
The Titans (2-3, 3-5) finished with 21 unanswered points. Fifty-nine proved to be an unlucky number for the Vikings, as the Titans scored twice on plays from their own 41 yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Titan quarterback Tom Kudyba escaped a Viking blitz and threw a perfect pass to Jordan Musselman for a 59 yard touchdown. Later in the quarter, again with the ball on the Titan 41, Marcus Dunlop cut through the line and headed 59 yards for the team’s second touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Kudyba connected with Martin Ceisel in the end zone on a 38-yard-pass.
Haehn was 22 of 43 for 255 yards and one touchdown. Sherman Gant led all receivers with nine catches for 132 yards. Wada had five receptions for 73 yards. Ahkeem Waterford led Viking rushers with 58 yards on 15 carries, and Mujahid Aziz picked of two Kudyba’s passes.
Total yardage was nearly even for both teams, with the Vikings holding the edge 350-322. The Vikings out-distanced the Titans in the air 255 yards to 144. The Titans carried the ground game, however, 178 yards to 95.
The Vikings next take on Wheaton (3-2, 6-2) at the Holmgren Athletic Complex at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.
