Cornell’s five point scorers earned all-Midwest Conference recognition in guiding the Rams to a runner-up team finish at the MWC Men’s Cross Country Championships on a chilly Saturday morning on Grinnell College Golf Course.
Coach Jerry Frawley’s Rams, who captured the 2022 team crown, ran a strong second with 46 points. Meet favorite Grinnell won the title with 32 points. Ripon was a distant third with 65.
Cornell placed five individuals among the top 17. The host Pioneers’ five scorers all landed in the top 12.
Cornell sophomore transfer Isaac vanWestrienen was tabbed the MWC’s Newcomer of the Year with a third-place showing in the 100-man field. He covered the 8-kilometer course in 25:50, trailing only Ripon’s Sam Forstner (25:40) and Grinnell champion Brian Goodell (25:34).
Juniors Gabe Soda and Caleb Schopen both claimed all-MWC medals for the third time in as many years. Soda covered the 8K distance in a season-best 26:06 for seventh place. Schopen shaved more than one minute off his previous-best time this fall, placing ninth in 26:24.
Soda and Schopen became the 13th and 14th Rams to gain all-MWC status three times in a career.
Junior Fisher Isaacson placed 10th in 26:26 for his second consecutive all-MWC finish. Senior Noah Lutze brought in Cornell’s fifth score, taking 17th in 26:42. He also picked up his second MWC medal.
The next wave of Rams included Gabe Hunt in 22nd (27:15), Brodie Callahan 25th (27:30) and Thomas Coble 26th (27:35). Ethyn Chesnut was 33rd (27:57) and Tony Zamudio 38th (28:07).
Cornell’s team has now finished in the top two at five of the past six MWC Championships.
Womens XC
Cornell sophomore Alyza Koppes has lowered her personal 6K record in all but one of her last seven races over two seasons.
Koppes’ progress paid off Saturday as an all-Midwest Conference medalist at the MWC Women’s Cross Country Championships.
Koppes rose to the occasion in her biggest race yet, placing eighth out of 90 runners on chilly Grinnell College Golf Course. The second-year Ram clocked a 6K mark of 23:57, shaving another 28 seconds off her previous-best time.
Koppes improved 23 places from last year’s MWC finish.
Teammate Katie Lammers raced her way to an all-MWC medal for the second consecutive year. The junior finished 19th in 24:44 in only her second completed competition of the fall.
The all-conference tandem helped the Rams take fourth in the eight-team field with 124 points. Host Grinnell posted a winning score of 37 points, followed by Lawrence (50) and Ripon (54).
The Rams received big PRs from several members of their 10-woman lineup. Junior Elinor Ascher-Handlin ran 26:05 for 37th place. First-year Sophie Stumbo was 49th (26:56) in her MWC debut. Senior Cari Pickup turned in Cornell’s fifth score, crossing 57th in 27:24.
Rounding out Cornell’s lineup was Murray Page in 67th (28:11), Zoe Peesel 73rd (29:00), Ashley Olvera 81st (30:01), Grace Parises 82nd (30:02) and Isabella Anderson 87th (31:45).
Keeley Miyamoto of Grinnell was crowned individual champion with a winning time of 22:46.
Cornell’s team finished in the top half of the MWC field for the 11th time in the last 12 Championships.
MWC Elite 20 Award
Cornell senior Isabella Anderson was presented the MWC Elite 20 Award for academic excellence following Saturday’s race.
The award recognizes the student-athlete with the highest grade point average among participants in the sport’s culminating championship or tournament event.
Anderson is majoring in English-Creating Writing and carries a 4.0 GPA. She’s in her first season competing for the Rams.
Anderson is the 11th Ram to receive the MWC Elite 20 Award since its inception in 2015-16. She joins Laura Wetzel (2015) as Cornell’s only cross country runners to earn the distinction.
Cornell men runner-up in MWC Men’s Cross Country championships
November 2, 2023