Taylor Registers 11th-Place Finish at NAIA Nationals

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Taylor University women's cross country team narrowly missed a third-straight top-10 performance at the NAIA National Championships, ending six points shy of that feat with an 11th-place finish at the McAlpine Creek Park Course in Charlotte on Saturday afternoon.

The Trojans posted a team time of 94:37.5 and tallied 350 points to end six points back of Westmont for 10th and eight points short of Dordt for ninth in the tightly bunched field of 35.

"It was a tough day," reflected head coach Quinn White. "We got out really well, looked relaxed and were around the top four at the mile marker, with things looking good. I just am not sure what happened. I know the girls are disappointed."

The 11th-place showing comes on the heels of back-to-back 10th-place finishes in 2013 and 2014, with Taylor putting at least three individuals inside the top-100 for the third-straight year. Alex Berends led the way with a time of 18:32.3 for 46th, with Mae Elizabeth Gimre excelling with a personal-best mark of 18:42.5 to end in 59th and Jane Hawks crossing in 89th with a time of 18:58.0 for her third-straight top-100 finish at NAIA Nationals.

Michelle Franch came just short of joining that group inside the top-100, finishing in 109th at 19:06.3 and Hannah Schroder rounded out Taylor's scoring in 135th position with a time of 19:18.4. Anissa Richards and Rachel Blagg ended 214th and 263rd as TU's sixth and seventh runners in the 321-racer field.

Biola's Kellian Hunt claimed the individual championship with a time of 17:16.7, while Northwest Christian cruised to the team title with four individuals inside the top-15 finishers.

Saturday's performance wrapped up a tremendous 2015 campaign for the Trojans, who went 91-3 and only lost to one NAIA team during a regular season in which it won four-of six races and clinched a third-straight Crossroads League Championship. Other highlights included registering three of the four-fastest times in program history as a team, and matching the highest NAIA ranking in program history with four-straight weeks at No. 4 entering nationals.

"We can't let this race define our season," added White. "We have had a fantastic season and this program has a lot of wonderful things coming as well. What we have to do is look at how we can use today's performance to make us better in the future."

The race brought an end to the outstanding careers of Hawks and Richards as part of a senior class that also included Cassie Crowder, Alyssa Hatteberg, Christina Lee, Sarina Oleson, Taryn Seeland and Haley White.

The group helped Taylor to a four-year mark of 365-44, three Crossroads League Championships, three-straight top-11 showings at NAIA Nationals, the highest national ranking in program history and the 10-fastest team times in program history. The accomplishments led to 29-straight polls inside the NAIA Top-25 and 23-of-24 polls inside the NAIA Top-10.

"It has been a great run with Jane, Anissa and these seniors," concluded White. "I have been proud and excited to coach them."

TU is set to return 15 individuals for the 2016 season, including five competitors from nationals and five previous All-Crossroads League performers.