HUNTINGTON, Ind. -- No. 4-ranked Taylor (Ind.) pulled out a tight four point victory over No. 9-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University in the Crossroads League Women’s Cross Country Championship on Saturday in Huntington, Indiana.

Race Day Details

• Team Finish:  Indiana Wesleyan - 2nd of 10
• Team Scores:  1. Taylor - 38   2. Indiana Wesleyan 42   3. Marian - 89
• NAIA Top- 25 Rank:  Taylor - No. 4   |   Indiana Wesleyan - No. 9   |   Marian - Receiving votes
• Race Length:  5,000-meters
• Location:  Huntington, Indiana
• Brief:  No. 4-ranked Taylor (Ind.) pulled out a tight four point victory over No. 9-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University in the Crossroads League Women’s Cross Country Championship on Saturday in Huntington, Indiana.
  
   

What Went Down

• The race for the Crossroads League championship went down to the wire between top-10 programs Indiana Wesleyan and Taylor. No. 4 Taylor went on to win by a slim 38-42 score over No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan.
• The Wildcats placed three runners in the top eight positions and all five IWU scorers earned All-Crossroads League recognition.
• Isabel Wharton (SR/Laurel, Del.) and Angel Osladil (SR/Gibson City, Ill.) led Indiana Wesleyan with top-five finishes and times under 19 minutes. Wharton took third place in a time of 18:54 while Osladil was right behind in fourth place at 18:58.
• Caitlin Chastain gave the Wildcats a third top-10 finish as she was eighth place in 19:02.
• Sarah McBeath (JR/LeHigh Acres, Fla.) and Katherine Arch (SR/Iowa City, Iowa) placed inside the top-15 to round out the IWU scoring. McBeath was 13th place in 19:17 and Arch earned 14th place in 19:19.
• Megan Sanchez (JR/Hudsonville, Mich.) and Brooke Horswell (SR/Charleston, W.Va.) earned top-20 places to complete the IWU top-seven. Sanchez took 17th place in 19:28 and Horswell earned 18th in 19:29.
• Five Wildcats earned All-Crossroads League recognition for their effort at the league championship meet. Isabel Wharton, Angel Osladil, Caitlin Chastain, Sarah McBeath, and Katherine Arch all receive the league honor for placing in the top-15 of the race.

Coaches Corner

• “It was a great meet today. Izzy Wharton showed a lot of courage and took the lead early. We ended up running a great meet and almost beat Taylor who is ranked fourth in the country. Our ladies gave it absolutely everything they had. It was the best race we had all season.”

• IWU head coach John Foss

Extra! Extra!

• The Wildcats boasted a split of 25 seconds between their first and fifth runner and a split of 35 seconds between their first and seventh runner.

Next Time Out

• Indiana Wesleyan will likely receive an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championship as they are currently ranked No. 9 in the NAIA Top-25 Poll. The national meet will be held November 21 in Charlotte, North Carolina.