University of Missouri
NCAA Championships
Schweizer Wins NCAA Cross Country National Championship
11/19/2016 11:38:00 AM | Cross Country
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Cross Country junior Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa) capped off a terrific cross country season by winning the NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship on Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind. Schweizer becomes Mizzou's first National Champion in cross country and the 27th overall individual National Champion.
SHE DID IT!!!!!! @KarissaSchweiz4 is the 2016 NCAA Cross Country National Champion!!!!!#MIZ #TigerTough ????????? pic.twitter.com/kHOI2umMql
— Mizzou Track & Field (@MIZ_TrackField) November 19, 2016
"I was up there with the lead pack and knew I had another gear," Schweizer said following the race. "When I saw the leader, I thought maybe this could be my day. My coach said always just go with whatever moves are made. I felt good, so I knew if I could hang around near the front, I could kick at the end."
Joining Schweizer with All-America honors is junior Jamie Kempfer (Festus, Mo.), who finished 27th overall. Mizzou's last All-American was Amanda Bales in 2003, who placed 23rd. It is the first time Mizzou has had two All-Americans since 1984 when Sabrina Dornhoefer and Andrea Fischer took home the honors.
As a team, Mizzou finished 16th overall, its highest finish at an NCAA Meet since its last appearance in 2004 when the Tigers finished 11th. The top-20 team finish is the Mizzou women's the sixth-highest finish in program history at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
"This is a huge day for our program," said Head Coach Marc Burns. "The success we had today and throughout this season is a function of the tremendous support we provide for our student athletes at Mizzou. I am so proud of this team and the way they battled in tough conditions. They decided to embrace the weather and had a lot of fight today. Karissa ran a masterful race and stayed tucked away early in the race. We knew she could contend, but wow, it is so exciting for everyone involved to have her win the national title. Jamie ran a very smart race and came up big in 27th place. I am thrilled that she is an All-American. Nicole, Teylar and Kaitlyn fought hard and moved up throughout the race to help us secure 16th place. What a great day to be a Tiger!"
Schweizer stayed near the front of the pack for the majority of the race, but trailed Michigan's Erin Finn down the final stretch. With the 100 meters to the finish, Schweizer kicked it into high gear and passed Finn to capture the title. Schweizer crossed the finish line at 19:41.6, 13 seconds faster than her previous personal-record time of 19:54.4, set at the NCAA Midwest Regional on Nov. 10.
What a finish in Terre Haute!
— TrackTown USA (@GoTrackTownUSA) November 19, 2016
Schweizer of Missouri takes home the victory! pic.twitter.com/nFEbrBqj8e
The National Title closes out Schweizer's incredible junior campaign, where she became Mizzou's first individual conference champion since 1997 with a SEC Championship and first regional champion since 2003 with a Midwest Regional Title. Following her success, Schweizer was named the SEC Women's Runner of the Year and NCAA Midwest Regional Women's Runner of the Year. Additionally, Schweizer was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014 and earned All-America honors at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a third place finish in the 5,000m race.
For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MIZ_TrackField).
Women's Results (6,000m)
Team – 16th (459 pts, 1-27-139-171-222-227-249)
1. Karissa Schweizer, 19:41.6 // 27. Jamie Kempfer, 20:16.3 // 139. Nicole Mello, 20:59.6 // 171. Teylar Adelsberger, 21:10.8 // 222. Kaitlyn Fischer, 21:59.8 // 227. Jordyn Kleve, 22:05.5 // 249. Valeska Halamicek, 23:09.3
Players Mentioned
