TERRE HAUTE —
Saturday was a great day for Wisconsin-Stout senior Tim Nelson, who won the men’s 8-kilometer part of the NCAA Division III cross country championships at LaVern Gibson Championship Course.
But it almost took a bizarre twist at the end of the race.
Comfortably ahead of runner-up Allegheny junior Bobby Over with a few hundred yards to go, Nelson lacked energy and struggled to take each step before he finally reached the finish line. After crossing it, he needed help from meet officials to remain on his feet.
“I just had nothing left,” Nelson told the Tribune-Star after he regained his bearings. “I ran myself into the ground. With about a K [kilometer] to go, I really had spent everything I had. That last K, I was going off guts and adrenaline.”
He admitted that he wondered if he would be able to finish.
“I was actually getting pretty nervous with about 500 [meters] to go,” he said. “I was getting really nervous because I just had nothing.”
On a more positive note, Nelson said he started building a good-sized lead at the 3K mark.
“I was up toward the front from the get-go,” explained Nelson, who placed fourth in the Division III nationals last year. “I ran the first 2K kinda with everyone. Then going up the hill, I put a move on to try to not slow down. That was the gameplan. It was nice that I was able to get some separation [from the other lead runners] and come away with a win that I worked so hard for.”
Looking at the big picture, Nelson said “it means everything” to win his first national championship in his final collegiate cross country race. His time was 24 minutes, 26.8 seconds, still eight seconds ahead of Over.
In the women’s 6K, Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior Christy Cazzola pulled off a come-from-behind victory after trailing Amherst senior Keri Lambert, who ended up third, for most of the race. Ohio Northern senior Alison Steinbrunner rallied to finish second, about 15 1/2 seconds behind Cazzola.
“It feels amazing and is the experience of a lifetime,” proclaimed Cazzola, who finished in 20:53.3. “I think being a cross country national champ is different than being a track champion, so it’s definitely a dream come true.”
Team champions were North Central College (167 points) for the men and Johns Hopkins (158 points) for the women.
“The strategy was one word and one word alone, and that was the ‘team’ dynamic,” North Central men’s coach Allen Carius mentioned. “I know it sounds corny, but our strategy was to tap into the team. The team was going to carry us through the season and through this race.”
Junior John Crain was North Central’s top finisher as he placed sixth in 24:43.5.
This national title was the 15th for North Central in the 30-year history of the Division III cross country championships.
For Johns Hopkins in the women’s race, this was its first national championship in cross country ever.
“Much of our success involved setting the right mood and having our team enjoy the national championship atmosphere,” Johns Hopkins women’s coach Bobby Van Allen said. “As far as team tactics, we had our four, five and six really pack up and they did it perfectly. They all tied and that pretty much sealed it for us.”
Freshman Hannah Oneda was Johns Hopkins’ top finisher in 10th place (21:26.3).
The “national championship atmosphere” mentioned by Van Allen was noticeable from the late morning — when the temperature was 46 degrees for the start of the men’s race — through the early afternoon.
Even though the NCAA Division I cross country nationals took a one-year break from Terre Haute after it was conducted here from 2004 through 2011, the DIII version still provided the usual fun college antics — shirtless male student-fans with words of encouragement painted on their chests and stomachs, colorful school banners and team mascots.
Overall, there were 64 teams (32 men’s and 32 women’s) and a total of 557 runners who finished.
One of them was Manchester College junior Clayton Harlan, a 2010 Terre Haute South High School graduate who placed 244th in the men’s race.
“For my own standards, I kinda expected more,” he acknowledged. “I expected to be patient for the first couple miles, then pick off people, because that’s the way I race. … But I didn’t have much ‘go’ today. I just couldn’t get around people and I couldn’t get enough adrenaline going, even though the fans were great. It was tough for me because it’s all mental. Physically, I was there. But, mentally, I was off.”
Harlan said he had raced at the Gibson course “too many times to count” during his high school career, so it was nice to return.
“I know the course inside and out,” he emphasized. “The course was great today and the grass was mowed. Rose-Hulman did an excellent job hosting the national championships this year.”
NCAA Division III
cross country championships
Saturday
At LaVern Gibson Championship Course
MEN
(8 kilometers, 280 runners finished)
Team scores — North Central 167, Calvin and Haverford 188, Wisconsin-La Crosse 190, Washington U. 226, Bates 260, Tufts 265, Middlebury 286, Wheaton 315, Wisconsin-Eau Claire 323.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 329, Williams 356, Central College 356, St. Olaf 371, Allegheny 374, Bowdoin 390, Carnegie Mellon 419, Geneseo State 443, Dickinson 455, Johns Hopkins 475.
Rochester 517, NYU 540, Cortland State 546, Luther 584, Pomona-Pitzer 590, Lynchburg 617, St. Lawrence 698, Wabash 711, Manchester 732, Case Western 736, La Verne 768, Trinity (Texas) 831.
Top 30 — Tim Nelson (Wisconsin-Stout) 24:26.8, Bobby Over (Allegheny) 24:34.8, Grant Wintheiser (SO) 24:35.7, Kevin Sparks (Wash. U.) 24:37.0, Tully Hannan (Bates) 24:39.9, John Crain (NC) 24:43.5, Tim Hartung (York) 24:43.6, Noah Droddy (DePauw) 24:44.6, Coby Horowitz (Bowdoin) 24:45.2, Alex Brimstein (GS) 24:46.7.
Billy Whitmore (U of Chicago) 24:47.6, Chris Stadler (Haverford) 24:47.7, Michael LeDuc (Conn College) 24:48.0, Dan Kerley (NC) 24:48.5, Jeremy Kieser (W-EC) 24:49.4, Bryan Marsh (Wesleyan) 24:50.4, Samuel Seekins (Bowdoin) 24:51.2, Chris Lee (Williams) 24:53.4, Wylie Mangelsdorf (Principia) 24:53.8, Anthony Salvucci (Springfield) 24:55.0.
Jack Davies (Mid) 24:57.3, Jack Waterman (Wheaton) 24:57.5, Nick Marcantonio (CS) 24:58.7, Josh Kaul (W-LC) 24:58.8, Cody Stanton (Lynchburg) 25:00.8, Nick Kramer (Calvin) 25:01.9, Aaron Easker (W-EC) 25:01.9, Eli Horton (Central College) 25:02.0, Peter Kissin (Haverford) 25:02.0, Josh Dedering (W-LC) 25:02.2.
WOMEN
(6 kilometers, 277 runners finished)
Team scores — Johns Hopkins 158, Wartburg 221, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 233, Williams 266, Wisconsin-Eau Claire 272, MIT 291, St. Lawrence 297, St. Olaf 309, Oberlin 316, Hope 328.
Middlebury 329, Trinity (Texas) 333, Haverford 338, Luther 353, U. of Chicago 381, Amherst 396, Carleton 407, Calvin 413, Bates 424, Lewis & Clark 452.
Gustavius Adolphus 465, NYU 508, Dickinson 537, Illinois Wesleyan 554, Wisconsin-La Crosse 563, Geneseo State 564, Rowan 577, Kenyon 584, Wisconsin-Oshkosh 595, Ithaca 683, Emory 767, Willamette 784.
Top 30 — Christy Cazzola (W-O) 20:53.3, Alison Steinbrunner (Ohio Northern) 21:08.9, Keri Lambert (Amh) 21:13.0, Addie Tousley (Mid) 21:14.7, Emma Lee (SO) 21:19.6, Ashlyn Maurer (W-EC) 21:21.8, Alana Enabnit (Wart) 21:23.2, Taylor Berg (St. Thomas) 21:23.8, Jorden Johnson (SO) 21:25.4, Hannah Oneda (JH) 21:26.3.
Melissa Skiba (Cal Lutheran) 21:26.9, Kristen Galligan (Wash & Jefferson) 21:27.4, Sheena Crawley (Franklin & Marsh) 21:30.2, Sammi Bruett (Wart) 21:30.2, Chelsea Johnson (St. Scholastica) 21:30.3, Kaleigh Kenny (Williams) 21:31.5, Lenore Moreno (La Verne) 21:32.5, Linda Keller (Minnesota-Morris) 21:32.6, Sophia Stone (Mary Baldwin) 21:33.0, Tricia Serres (Luther) 21:33.3.
Lucy Cheadle (Washington U.) 21:34.1, Erin Statz (St. Thomas) 21:36.6, Fiona Hendry (Haverford) 21:44.2, Bridget Blum (C-M-S) 21:48.3, Holly Clarke (JH) 21:48.9, Olivia Mills (Bridgewater) 21:49.3, Lauren Norton (Rochester) 21:50.3, Adrienne Strait (Williams) 21:52.3, Jenna Willett (Kenyon) 21:53.0, Madison Sawyer (W-EC) 21:54.3.
Sports
Related Photos
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Big contingent: Dozens of cross country fans from Case Western Reserve University made the trip to Terre Haute on Saturday to cheer their team.
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Winner: Christy Cazzola of Wisconsin-Oshkosh nears the finish line to win the women's race of the DIII national cross country championships in Terre Haute.
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Winners: John's Hopkins runners Annie Monagle, Lara Shegoski and Hannah Oneda enjoy their finish in the DIII women's NCAA championship cross country race Saturday in Terre Haute.
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis All alone: Tim Nelson of Wisconsin-Stout has a sizable lead near the halfway point of the men's DIII national championship cross country race in Terre Haute on Saturday.
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Stout finish: Wisconsin-Stout runner Tim Nelson won the Men's DIII NCAA championship cross country race in Terre Haute on Saturday.
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Hard corner: The women start their first turn of the 6K race at the Lavern Gibson championship cross country course Saturday afternoon in Terre Haute. The DIII NCAA championship was at stake. Runners include Kenyon�s Jenna Willett(654) and St. Olaf�s Jorden Johnson(756).
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Fans: Spectators run from point to point to cheer their runners at the DIII NCAA cross country championships Saturday morning at the Lavern Gibson Cross Country course.
Discussion
Wisconsin-Stout senior hangs on for Division III title at LaVern Gibson
- Sports
-
IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, stands in his team pit box as he waits for the start of the final practice session for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
-
Top guns, again
For the sixth time in his Indy career Friday, three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves won the Pit Stop Challenge on Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
-
Sycamores bow out of MVC Tournament
Indiana State’s baseball was out of pitching, and after a loss to Wichita State on Thursday, the Sycamores were out of second-chances too at the Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament. What the Sycamores weren’t out of was heart, guts and clutch performances from some unlikely sources. But in the end, Friday’s elimination game rematch against the Shockers was a sampling of ISU’s season overall — the Sycamores were out of luck.
-
Freshman Hambrock, THS seek semistate tennis title
Having already claimed Terre Haute North Sectional and Greencastle Regional championships in girls high school tennis, Terre Haute South will try to add a semistate title to its 2013 list of accomplishments today as the Braves battle No. 25-ranked Greenwood.
-
Coach adds regional host to job description
John Hayes has been a familiar face at high school baseball games this spring as he always is, enjoying the games but also looking for players who can help his Wayne Newton Post 346 American Legion team that will start its summer season shortly.
-
Prep roundup: South Vermillion reaches baseball sectional final
South Vermillion built an early 7-0 lead late Thursday night, then held off Owen Valley by a 10-4 score to advance to the championship game of the Class 3A West Vigo Sectional for high school baseball.
-
Metro Sports: Chalk up No. 5 for Liz Evans
Senior Liz Evans capped the top career in Rose-Hulman athletics history with her fifth national championship and eighth All-American award at Wisconsin-La Crosse on Friday.
-
Four Indiana State athletes advance to NCAA outdoor track and field championships
Three Indiana State seniors and a freshman have punched their tickets to the NCAA outdoor track and field championships in two weeks at Eugene, Ore., with their Friday efforts in the 2013 NCAA East Preliminary at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T.
-
West Vigo advances to sectional championship with walk-off win in ninth
High school baseball sectional games between West Vigo and Edgewood have had a tendency to be unpredictable over the years, but the Vikings and Mustangs outdid themselves in that area Thursday evening — and Thursday night.
-
Wichita State shuts out ISU to force elimination-game rematch
Indiana State starting pitcher Greg Kuhlman did his best.
Actually, he did far better than he ever has previously in an ISU uniform, but while Kuhlman’s gutty pitching effort spoke volumes, ISU’s bats remained ominously silent. -
BOYS TRACK REGIONAL: North gets three winners, South two at Evansville
Terre Haute North had three winners, Terre Haute South two, and the Patriots and Braves finished second and third respectively at the Evansville Regional for boys track on Thursday at Evansville Central.
Hurdlers Cam Stewart and Cole Seward and discus thrower Lee Davis were the winners for North, enabling the Patriots to finish with 60 points to 59 for the Braves.
-
Top guns, again
- Local Interest
-
-
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman's Evans honored as Great Lakes' top athlete
Rose-Hulman senior Liz Evans earned her fifth career NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Field Athlete of the Year honor, according to results released Wednesday by the U.S. Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association.
-
Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
But on the Yankees, a 35-and-over team in the Terre Haute Men’s Senior Baseball League, Terry is “just a youngster” if you ask Larry Roesch, his 68-year-old teammate on the Volkers Group Yankees. -
Softball sectionals up for grabs
All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.
-
Indiana State baseball series canceled
Heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday has forced Indiana State and Tennessee Martin to cancel their three-game weekend baseball series in northwest Tennessee.
-
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman baseball to play DePauw on Thursday after Tuesday's rain
The Rose-Hulman baseball team has rescheduled its non-conference game with DePauw to Thursday night.
The start time remains 7 p.m. for the single nine-inning game that was originally scheduled for today. Tuesday’s scheduled Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Anderson was moved to Sunday because of rain.
-
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman's Evans honored as Great Lakes' top athlete
- High School
-
-
Freshman Hambrock, THS seek semistate tennis title
Having already claimed Terre Haute North Sectional and Greencastle Regional championships in girls high school tennis, Terre Haute South will try to add a semistate title to its 2013 list of accomplishments today as the Braves battle No. 25-ranked Greenwood.
- Prep roundup: South Vermillion reaches baseball sectional final
- West Vigo advances to sectional championship with walk-off win in ninth
- BOYS TRACK REGIONAL: North gets three winners, South two at Evansville
- PREP ROUNDUP: Martinsville adavances in Class 4A THS Sectional
-
- College
-
-
Sycamores bow out of MVC Tournament
Indiana State’s baseball was out of pitching, and after a loss to Wichita State on Thursday, the Sycamores were out of second-chances too at the Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament. What the Sycamores weren’t out of was heart, guts and clutch performances from some unlikely sources. But in the end, Friday’s elimination game rematch against the Shockers was a sampling of ISU’s season overall — the Sycamores were out of luck.
-
Metro Sports: Chalk up No. 5 for Liz Evans
Senior Liz Evans capped the top career in Rose-Hulman athletics history with her fifth national championship and eighth All-American award at Wisconsin-La Crosse on Friday.
-
Four Indiana State athletes advance to NCAA outdoor track and field championships
Three Indiana State seniors and a freshman have punched their tickets to the NCAA outdoor track and field championships in two weeks at Eugene, Ore., with their Friday efforts in the 2013 NCAA East Preliminary at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T.
-
Wichita State shuts out ISU to force elimination-game rematch
Indiana State starting pitcher Greg Kuhlman did his best.
Actually, he did far better than he ever has previously in an ISU uniform, but while Kuhlman’s gutty pitching effort spoke volumes, ISU’s bats remained ominously silent. -
Indiana State baseball now one win from MVC Championship
Indiana State’s Wednesday morning wish list probably read something like this: a dominant complete game effort from starting pitcher Devin Moore, near-immaculate defense to support him, and a steady diet of clutch situational hitting from lineup spots one to nine.
-
Sycamores bow out of MVC Tournament
- Sports Columns
-
-
RAMBLIN' RECK: Sunday promises to be big day in Indy
Sunday promises to be a super day in Indianapolis.
It’s the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 followed by Indiana vs. Miami in the third game of the National Basketball Association playoffs. - TRACKSIDE: Local drivers, owners looking to have strong night at Tony Hulman Classic
- Shooters compete to fight cancer
- TILL IT'S OVER: Terre Haute Triathlon's new race director seeks more events for his hometown
- TODD GOLDEN: Don't give up on ISU baseball just yet
-
RAMBLIN' RECK: Sunday promises to be big day in Indy
- Pro Sports
-
-
Luck having fun with his first OTAs
A year ago, quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to attend the Indianapolis Colts’ organized team activity practices due to school commitments at Stanford.
Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
“These are my first OTAs. I missed these last year, so I think it’s great. It’s great to get on the field with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff. Obviously, some of us ran some of this stuff [offense] at Stanford [under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]. But to get out there with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff is good,” Luck said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its first week of on-field voluntary practice sessions. - Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
- Colts in wait-and-see mode for tonight’s NFL draft
- Colts sign Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck
- Colts introduce free-agent signees
-
Luck having fun with his first OTAs
- Terre Haute Rex
-
Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)
-
2012 an up, down season for Rex
The Terre Haute Rex went through plenty of trials and tribulations during the summer of 2012.
The team got off to a sluggish start to settle for third place during the first half of the Prospect League race, but manager Brian Dorsett rallied the troops to a second-half title. - Metro Roundup: Dorsett, Rex players honored in Prospect League postseason awards
- Rex out of playoffs
- Rex mix, match their way to win
- Rex turn eye to Prospect playoffs
-
2012 an up, down season for Rex
- Colts
-
-
Luck having fun with his first OTAs
A year ago, quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to attend the Indianapolis Colts’ organized team activity practices due to school commitments at Stanford.
Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
“These are my first OTAs. I missed these last year, so I think it’s great. It’s great to get on the field with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff. Obviously, some of us ran some of this stuff [offense] at Stanford [under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]. But to get out there with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff is good,” Luck said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its first week of on-field voluntary practice sessions. - Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
- Werner, 36 others open Colts’ mini camp
- Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
- Werner at top of game
-
Luck having fun with his first OTAs
- Auto Racing
-
IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, stands in his team pit box as he waits for the start of the final practice session for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
-
Top guns, again
For the sixth time in his Indy career Friday, three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves won the Pit Stop Challenge on Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
- Looking for Indy breakthrough, Kanaan enjoying role as team mentor
- TRACKSIDE: Local drivers, owners looking to have strong night at Tony Hulman Classic
- Carpenter arrives as Indy 500 threat
- Carpenter wins Indy 500 pole
-
Top guns, again
New Galaxy Star Robbie Rogers Makes History
George discusses Game 2 performance
West happy with Game 2 win over Heat
Spoelstra on Heat's missed opportunities
Stephenson talks big Game 2 win
Castroneves, Franchitti on making history at Indy
Wertheim: Women's French Open Preview
Mattingly's Dodgers days still may be done
LeBron: 'My turnovers hurt more than anything'
Bosh, Heat not playing up to par
White Hot Heat! Heat vs. Pacers tonight
Cavaliers Use Day Off to Prepare for FSU
Nate Allen is looking for a bounce back season
Seabrook on Canucks series in 2011
Three and Out: Wheeler or Pineda
Cubs' Sveum on Jackson's struggles
Game 4: Blackhawks played against a "really smart team"
Game 4: Blackhawks' Seabrooks "deserved limited minutes"
Game 4: Blackhawks started, couldn't finish
Phil Jackson on leadership: 'You have to follow your intuitive nature'
Massive Flooding in San Antonio Area; Rescue Efforts Underway
Hope For The Boy Who Can't Smile
Raw: Apple 1 Computer Sells for More Than $650k
Young protestor goes viral on Youtube
High Wire Spectacle Thrills Crowd in Austria
Toronto Mayor says he's not a crack head
Maine island offers lighthouse getaway
Suspect in Killing of Officer Found Dead in Cell
Should We Prepare for Quakes?
Lynn Kindergarten Class Rescues Ducklings
Congressional gold medal awarded to civil rights heroes
Charles Ramsey visits Kentucky
Unique Display Greets Guests At Revel Casino
Cape Cod Train Service Worries Residents
BASE jumper rides snowmobile off cliff to honor dead friend
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
SHOCKING: School Guard Throws Girl Down Stairs
Star Wars X-Wing Star Fighter Made of Legos
Actress Amanda Bynes Arrested in New York
Singer Psy Has An Imposter
