Allegheny Men, Oberlin Women Selected To Win 2012 NCAC Cross Country Titles

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For the sixth time in the past seven season’s, North Coast Athletic Conference coaches have predicted that Oberlin will claim the NCAC women’s cross country championship through pre-championship coaches balloting, while Allegheny was tabbed as the favorite on the men’s side.

The 2012 NCAC Cross Country Championships will be held this Saturday (10/27) at the L.C. Boles Golf Course on the campus of The College of Wooster. The men’s race is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m., followed by the women’s race at noon. CLICK HERE for Wooster’s championship website.

The Yeowomen, who have won three straight NCAC titles, earned all nine first-place votes to accumulate 81 total points at the top of the pre-championship coaches’ poll, while Kenyon finished 13 points behind Oberlin in second place with 68 points. Denison was third with 56 points, followed by DePauw (53), Ohio Wesleyan (49), Allegheny (43), Wooster (28), Wittenberg (18) and Hiram (9).

Individually, six of the seven first-team All-NCAC performers from the 2011 championship return for this year’s race, including Ohio Wesleyan junior Cara DeAngelis (Norton, OH/Ellet) {left} who earned Runner of the Year honors a year ago after crossing the finish line first with a time of 22:10.70. Joining DeAngelis as returning first-team performers include Oberlin junior Molly Martorella (Winchendon, MA/Murdock) (2nd - 22:17.30), Kenyon junior Jenna Willett (Kensington, MD/Walter Johnson) (3rd - 22:34.40), Allegheny junior Kristina Martin (Holley, NY/Holley) (4th - 22:45.90), Oberlin sophomore Carey Lyons (Tacoma, WA/Stadium) (5th - 23:03.00) and Oberlin sophomore Lindsay Neal (North Muskegon, MI/North Muskegon) (6th - 23:07.30). As the top newcomer in the final standings, Oberlin’s Carey Lyon’s was also named the 2011 NCAC Newcomer of the Year.

The Allegheny men, which saw their string of seven-straight NCAC titles snapped last season by Wabash, elevated to the top of the 2012 pre-championship coaches’ poll after earning eight of the ten first-place votes cast for 98 total points. Wabash, the defending NCAC men’s cross country champion, was second on the poll with 92 points after accumulating the final two first-place votes, while Ohio Wesleyan rounded out the top three in third-place with 78 points. DePauw racked up 66 points and landed fourth on the poll, followed by Oberlin (63), Denison (52), Kenyon (36), Wooster (34), Wittenberg (21) and Hiram (10).

Three first-team All-NCAC men’s performers from a year ago will return to the field in 2012, including DePauw senior Noah Droddy (Indianapolis, IN/International) {right} (3rd - 25:25.60), Allegheny senior Kevin Edwards (Ramstein, Germany/Ramstein) (5th - 25:44.20) and Ohio Wesleyan senior Shane Brandt (Painesville, OH/Riverside) (7th - 26:00.80).

Founded in 1983, the North Coast Athletic Conference is made up of ten academically selective colleges and universities - Allegheny College, Denison University, DePauw University, Hiram College, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Wabash College, Wittenberg University and the College of Wooster, along with affiliate member, Earlham College (field hockey).  The NCAC sponsors 23 championship sports, 11 for men and 12 for women.