Cross Country Info:
The Women's Cross Country Program
The Elizabethtown women's cross country team has produced several outstanding collegiate runners since its inception in 1981. Most recently, Melissa St. Clair '05 became the program's first individual NCAA Championship qualifier and first All-American in the fall of 2003. Also in 2003, Pam Boteler '90, the first Etown harrier to earn all-region honors, became the program's first inductee into Elizabethtown College's Ira R. Herr Athletics Hall of Fame.
Head coach Chris Straub and assistant coach Mike Dager took over the reins of the program in 1998 and starting in 2001, coach Dager became the women's program head coach and has focused his efforts year-round on taking the program to a national-caliber level.
Coach Dager took over head duties of the women’s cross country program from Coach Straub in 2002 and quickly mirrored the men’s accomplishments. In the 16 year history of Etown women’s cross country prior to the arrival of Straub and Dager, only three runners had achieved All-MAC honors. From 1998-2001, Etown produced three more All-MAC runners (Jen Olmstead in 1998 and Gretchen Junko and Maggie Martin in 1999). Then Mike Dager took over the women’s cross country program in 2002 and in just five years produced another 13 All-MAC runners! Of all those great runners, Erin Deihl ’07 stands alone as the only women’s cross country runner in Etown history to achieve All-MAC honors all four years.
In 2003, the team placed third in the MAC Championship, marking only the third time a tip three finish was achieved in the program’s 22-year history. The team went on to place eighth at the Mideast Regional Championship, placing in the tip ten for the first time. At the Mideast Regional meet, Melissa St. Clair ’05 became the first women’s cross country runner to individually qualify for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. St. Clair traversed the 6k course at Hanover College (Hanover, Indiana) in 22:58 to finish 34 th overall and become Etown’s first women’s cross country All-American. The most storied distance runner in the women’s program history, St. Clair graduated as a five-time All-American, which included a runner-up finish in the 10,000m at the 2004 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Among other records, St. Clair holds the program record of 17:14.79 in the 5000m, setting the mark in her last collegiate race, and finishing eighth at the 2005 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
In 2004, the women’s cross country team continued to experience success and claimed the first MAC Championship in program history! That October day the women’s squad placed all five scoring runners in the top 20. Coach Dager was named 2004 MAC Coach of the Year for his team’s accomplishment. At the 2004 Mideast Regional Championships, the women placed third out of 42 teams and earned the right to participate in the NCAA Division III Championships as a team for the first time. At nationals held at the University of Wisconsin— Eau Claire, the women placed 19 th overall and finished first amongst the Mideast Region teams.
In 2005, the team placed 2 nd at the MAC championship meet, yet six runners still earned All-Conference honors by virtue of their top 20 performance. The women went on to again finish third at the regional championships, but did not earn a team berth to nationals. Tiffany Kulp ’08, however, became the second Elizabethtown runner to individually qualify for the NCAA XC Championships by virtue of her 12 th place finish out of 230 runners.
In 2006, the women’s team was again narrowly beaten by conference rival Messiah College at the MAC Cross Country Championships, but as in 2004 placed all five scorers within the top 20. Two school-firsts were achieved at the 2006 MAC Championships—junior Erin Fisher ’08 became Etown’s first-ever MAC Cross Country Champion and senior Erin Deihl ’07 became the only female harrier to ever earn All-MAC honors all four years. At regionals, the Blue Jays again peaked when it counted most, finished fourth out the 42 teams, and earned an at-large bid back to the NCAA Championships. At nationals, hosted by Wilmington College (OH), Erin Fisher ’08 led her team with a 67 th place finish to a 31 st place team finish.
The women’s cross country team regularly performs up to an equal standard of excellence in the classroom as well. The team has had as high as the fifth highest cumulative GPA in the country (2005) with nine women making the NCAA Coaches’ All-Academic Team since 2004.
