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Trevor Grandy
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OBERLIN, Ohio — For the third straight year, the highlight of the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional championship meet for the Wittenberg Tigers was supplied by Mary Pfeifer (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman).
Pfeifer became just the second Wittenberg cross country runner, male or female, to reach the NCAA Division III National Championships three times in a collegiate career with a seventh-place finish in the 2011 regional competition at Oberlin. Pfeifer matched the achievements of Abi Gerstle, class of 2003, as she placed seventh in the 251-runner field assembled at Oberlin.
Her seventh-place regional finish was the best of Pfeifer's illustrious collegiate career, as well as the best ever for a Tiger runner. Gerstle's best finish was eighth in her four appearances at regional meets. Pfeifer covered the flat, fast course at Oberlin in a time of 21:57.82, just two seconds behind Case Western's Natalia Cabrera for sixth place. Aliso Steinbrunner from Ohio Northern won the event in a time of 21:27.74.
Pfeifer's finish propelled the Tiger women to an 11th place as a team in the 36-team field.. She was followed by sophomore Molly King (Springfield, Ohio/Northeastern) in 42nd place with a time of 22:52.68.
Senior Anna Henry (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) wrapped up her collegiate career with a 79th-place finish. The other scorers for the Tigers were sophomore Shannon Kelleher (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) in 100th and sophomore Maggie McIlvain (East Liverpool, Ohio/East Liverpool) in 131st.
The Tiger men placed 26th out of 35 teams, led by junior Trevor Grandy (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) in 74th place with a time if 26:47.88.
He was followed by senior Jarrett Cowgill (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) in 102nd place. The other point-scorers for Wittenberg were sophomore Wade Westbrook (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone) in 131st, senior Kyler Cowgill (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) in 167th and sophomore Jacob Kuntz (Versailles, Ky./Woodford) in 173rd.