Athletics :: Women's Cross Country

Season Review

2007 Schedule

2007 Women's Cross Country Schedule
Head Coach: Mike Wojociakowski
Coordinator: Dave Wood

DAY, DATE	EVENT/SITE	TIME
Fri., Sept. 7	Aquinas Invitational/ Grand Rapids, Mich. Riverside Park on Monroe Ave.	3rd out of 9
Sat., Sept. 15	Calvin College Invitational/ Grand Rapids, Mich.	4th out of 11
Sat., Sept. 29	Willamette Invitational/Salem, OR	5th out of 26
Sat., Oct. 13	UW Parkside Invitational/Kenosha, WI	3rd out of 14
Sat., Oct. 20	WHAC Championships/ Adrian, Mich.	2nd out of 6
Sat., Nov. 3	NAIA Regional Championship/Grand Rapids, MI	4th out of 15
Sat., Nov. 17	NAIA National Championships/Kenosha, WI	14th out of 29

2007 Roster:

Photos	Name	Yr	Hometown/High School (College)
	Christina Baylis	SO	Belding/Belding
	Ruth Blaxton	SO	Shepard/Shepard
	Alicia Boynton	FR	Muskegon/Reeths Puffer
	Francine Franich	SO	Ithaca/Ithaca
	Katy Cramer	FR	Cedar Springs/Cedar Springs
	Emma Dalrymple	FR	Grand Rapids/Catholic Central
	Amanda Graves	FR	White Cloud/White Cloud
	Lianne Griffiths	SR	Canton/Plymouth Salem
	Jessie Hemming	FR	Traverse City/Traverse City West
	Jessica Karl	SR	Ada/Catholic Central
	Jesse Lord-Wilder	SR	Lansing/Lansing Community College
	Kaitlyn Meernik	SO	Redwood/Marian
	Lyndsay Nicosin	FR	Horton/Lumen Christi
	Emily Popma	SO	Lansing/Waverly
	Samantha Rinkus	FR	Brighton/Hartland
	Chaney Robinson	SO	Middleville/Thornapple-Kellogg
	Emily Sandula	FR	Saginaw/Nouvel Catholic
	Trisha Sarki	SO	Petosky/Petosky
	Audrey Shireman	FR	Lansing/Waverly
	Anna Step	SO	South Lyon/Mercy
	Amanda Strouse	JR	Williamston/Lansing Catholic Central
	Kelsey Webb	SO	Brownston Twp./Woodhaven
	McKenzie Williams	FR	Battle Creek/St. Phillips

Coaches:

MIKE WOJCIAKOWSKI
Women's Head Coach

A 1997 Aquinas College graduate, Mike Wojciakowski is in his 10th year as the Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track Coach at Aquinas College. “Woj’s” success with the middle distance and distance runners has been exceptional. He has directed the men’s and women’s Cross Country teams to eight WHAC Championships, six Region VIII championships and ten top 20 finishes at the NAIA National Championships, including a second place finish in 2004 (the highest national finish for any team in Aquinas College history).

A seven time NAIA regional coach of the year, Woj’s success on the track has been just as spectacular. The Saints have dominated the middle distance and distance events in the WHAC for the past nine years under Woj’s direction. He has sent numerous athletes to the indoor and outdoor national championships, 22 of them receiving All American recognition and has guided many runners to the Saints top five all time performance list.

A USA Track and Field Level II certified coach in the distance events, Woj’s knowledge, personal approach and work ethic has been responsible for developing the Saints distance program into one of the best small college programs in the nation.

A four year varsity letter winner in both cross country and track for the Saints, Wojciakowski captained both teams during his senior year. An outstanding student as well as a runner, Wojciakowski earned Academic All American honors in cross country his senior year.

Mike and his wife, Amorena, reside in the northwest side of Grand Rapids.

DAVE WOOD
Cross Country Coordinator
Dave Wood begins his tenth season as the Coordinator of the Cross Country Team and Head Track & Field Coach. Wood's tenure has been nothing short of phenomenal. Wood has directed the men's and women's programs from the basement in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) to the head of the pack. The Saints' dominated in 2003 as they completed a clean sweep of the men's and women's WHAC indoor titles and captured the WHAC women's outdoor title. Success under Wood's direction hasn't been limited to the conference level. Competing at the NAIA National Championships both indoors and outdoors, Saints' athletes earned All-American honors 81 times including four NAIA National Champions and four runner-up finishes during Wood's tenure. The Saints' success under Wood comes as no surprise. The 1972 Michigan Class A mile champion and a middle distance standout at Central Michigan University, Wood has been developing team and individual champions at the high school, junior college and collegiate level since his first coaching assignment at Grand Rapids Union High School, his alma mater, in 1976. A USATF Level II certified coach in the sprints and hurdles, Wood came to Aquinas after an outstanding twelve-year stint as Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Ferris State University. Wood was honored with a total of 10 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) "Coach of the Year" awards while guiding the Bulldogs to 11 GLIAC Championships in cross country and track & field. In addition to having his teams consistently ranked in the NCAA Division II top 20, Wood was recognized four times as NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region "Coach of the Year." His succes at the national level was highlighted by 35 All-Americans, three National Champions and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships during his tenure as Ferris State's coach.

Season Review: The women finished the season on a high note as they finished 14th at the National Championships -- the highest ever finish by a women's cross country team at Aquinas. This group rewrote the top ten team time list as they posted four of the top six all time fastest team times ever recorded. Amanda Strouse had an excellent season as she was crowned Runner of the Year in both the WHAC and Region 8. With three freshman running at the Nationals and the majority of the team being underclassman the future really does look bright for these ladies.

Awards and Honors

Outstanding Runner Award: Amanda Strouse

Saints Spirit Award: Alicia Boynton

Captain's Award: Jessica Karl

All-WHAC: Amanda Strouse

NAIA All Region 8: Amanda Strouse, Jesse Lord Wilder

NAIA National Qualifiers: Amanda Strouse, Katy Cramer, Jesse Lord Wilder, Jessica Karl, Sam Rinkus

Kelsey Webb, Amanda Graves

NAIA All-American: Amanda Strouse

All WHAC Academic: Amanda Strouse, Lianne Griffiths, Trisha Sarki, Jessica Karl, Jesse Lord Wilder

NAIA All-American: Amanda Strouse, Lianne Griffiths

Class of 2012 :

Jessika Blackport - Lakewood High School (19:23)

Megan Byrne - Amherst Steele High School (20:36/5:32)

Rachel Luehm - St. Louis High School (20:02/12:10)

Abbie Utendorf - Woodmore High School (21:08/2:30)

Caitlyn Bonney - Port Huron High School (19:01/11:19/5:11/2:19)

Chelsey Bonney - Port Huron High School (19:30/5:10/2:16)

Top 10 teams times:

1. 94:14, Bush Park, Salem, OR , 9/29/07 Amanda Strouse 17:56; Kelsey Webb 18:47; Katy Cramer 19:05; Jesse Lord-Wilder 19:10; Samantha Rinkus 19:16

2. 95:16, Grand Woods Park, 10/7/00 Val Kunde 18:39; Nichole Gummere 18:55; Christine Gow 19:12; Audrey Remsberg 19:12; Kristy Debski 19:18
3. 95:16, Calvin College, 9/15/07 Amanda Strouse 18:04; Jesse Lord-Wilder 19:07; Katy Cramer 19:11; Kelsey Webb 19:21; Kaitlyn Meernik 19:33

4. 95:34, Riverside Park, 11/3/07 Amanda Strouse 17:56; Jesse Lord-Wilder 18:55; Katy Cramer 19:24; Jessica Karl 19:40; Samantha Rinkus 19:52

5. 95:57, Pineview Golf Course, 10/9/98 Melissa Pline 18:39; Audrey Remsberg 18:57; Beth Boruta 19:22; Sarah Carter 19:28; Jenny Flanders 19:29
6. 96:05, UW Parkside NAIA Nationals, 11/17/07 Amanda Strouse 18:15; Katy Cramer 19:07; Jesse Lord Wilder 19:22; Jessica Karl 19:36; Samantha Rinkus 19:45

7. 96:07, Indiana Wesleyan University, 11/4/06 Jesse Lord-Wilder 19:00; Lisa Wojciakowski 19:06; Amanda Strouse 19:15; Stacey Hoffman 19:20; Kelsey Webb 19:26

8. 96:17, Heritage Park, Adrian, 11/4/00 Val Kunde 18:42; Nichole Gummere 19:14; Christine Gow 19:18; Sarah Carter 19:23; Allison Turnbull 19:40

9. 96:49, Eli Sharp Park, 11/3/01 Jenny Ziegler 18:27; Kelly Secord 19:13; Kristy Debski 19:17; Jenny Millis 19:41; Jackie Hurley 20:11

10. 97:05, Katke Golf Course, 9/17/99 Sara Carter 19:16; Beth Boruta 19:20; Allison Turnbull 19:28; Nichole Gummere 19:30; Cari Blind 19:31


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