Erin Hedrick

GAMBIER, Ohio - The Tiger cross country teams may have both finished in the bottom half of the standings on Saturday, but more importantly they displayed depth and promise for the future of the programs. The women finished 7th and the men turned in an 8th-place finish in the championship meet for a tough North Coast Athletic Conference.

Leading the way for the men were two familiar names, seniorMike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) and freshmanAndrew Carter (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro), who both finished in the top 30. Echols managed 26th place, while Carter was not far behind in 29th. The youth of the men's team stepped up to the challenge as three of the Tigers' five scorers were freshmen.

The women finished with two runners in the top 40, paced by senior Megan Poling (Medina, Ohio/Highland), who crossed the line in 38th place. She was followed by junior Erin Hedrick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) who finished just two runners later in 40th. For the women, two freshman were in the team top six, and juniorKatie McIlvain (East Liverpool, Ohio/East Liverpool) held the team's third-place finish, meaning four of the top six finishers for the Tiger women will return next year.

Overall, the Tiger cross country teams displayed potential as nine of the team's 12 top finishers are eligible to return for the 2008 season. For 2007, the teams will next travel to the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional, hosted by Calvin on Nov. 10.

Written By: John Strawn