Whittenburg Named NJCAA Player of the Week Again for #1 Ranked Cardinals
The Mineral Area College women's cross country team delivered an impressive performance at the Heartland Invitational on September 25, finishing second overall in a competitive field of seven scoring teams. The Cardinals placed just behind Lake Land College, who edged out the team title with 53 points to Mineral Area's 59. In addition to finishing 2nd at Heartland, the Cardinals claimed the top spot in the most current NJCAA DIII rankings and Clay Whittenburg was named NJCAA Runner of the Week for the second time this season.
Team Results (Top 5)
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Lake Land College – 53 pts
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Mineral Area College (Mo.) – 59 pts
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Kaskaskia College (Ill.) – 66 pts
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Illinois Wesleyan – 68 pts
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Parkland CC – 98 pts
Cardinal Leaders and Standout Performances
The Cardinals were led by a trio of strong runners who placed in the top 6 overall:
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Clay Whittenburg – 3rd place, 19:25.9 (PR)
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Emily Marriott – 5th place, 19:42.7 (PR)
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Alyson Skiles – 6th place, 20:02.8
These three laid the foundation for Mineral Area's second-place team finish, each posting either a personal record or a strong season-best.
Rounding out the Cardinals' scoring five:
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Sara Akins – 14th place, 22:13.6 (PR)
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Mckensie Collins – 31st place, 24:03.1 (PR)
All five scoring runners placed within the top 31, helping Mineral Area narrowly surpass third-place Kaskaskia by just 7 points in the meet.