All season, junior co-captain Abi Gerstle (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) has paced the Tiger women's team to strong finish after strong finish. On Saturday at the NCAC Cross Country Championship Meet, Gerstle was at her best, becoming the first Tiger runner to win the individual title and earning Runner of the Year honors in the process.

Gerstle crossed the finish line in 19:09.45, more than seven seconds faster than anyone else in the field.

Gerstle's first-place finish led the Tigers to fifth place in the meet overall. Her outstanding finish was backed by the efforts of senior co-captain Sarah Weide (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead), who was a career-best seventh in a time of 19:41. That finish was good for first-team All-NCAC honors, the first time Weide has earned such an award in cross country after taking home second-team honors the last two years.

On the men's side, senior Dave Hyde (Naperville, Ill./Central) led the team again, this time finishing 21st in a time of 27:33, which was good for honorable mention All-NCAC honors. Hyde's finish was the brightest spot for the Tigers, who wound eighth in the 10-team field.