Last year, Hillsdale College sophomore Liz Wamsley came up just short of All-American honors in the first NCAA DII Women's Cross Country championship meet of her career.
On Friday, Wamsley used the lessons learned from that maiden trip in 2021 to achieve her goal, in emphatic fashion this time around.
Racing on a snowy, chilly day at Chambers Creek Park in University Place, Washington, Wamsley kept herself in the top 30 from start to finish to become the Chargers' first All-American in women's cross country since Arena Lewis in 2018 with a 22nd place finish.
In 2021, on a hot day in Saint Leo, Florida, Wamsley made a furious rally in the final 1,000 meters, passing seven runners, but couldn't make up enough ground to get into the top 40 and secure All-American status.
The sophomore made sure there was no chance of a repeat of that in 2022, opening in 24th place at the 600 meter mark and running a picture-perfect race the rest of the way to secure the honor, never dropping lower than 30th.
While she was secure in the top 40 throughout the race, Wamsley made another late charge in the back half of the 6K, moving up eight spots from 30th and nearly cracking the top 20 at the finish. Wamsley finished in a career-best time of 21:08.9 for a 6K, just 20 seconds out of fifth place in a tight race at the end.
Wamsley's finish of 22nd was Hillsdale's best finish by a women's competitor at the NCAA DII championships since Hannah McIntyre took fourth in the nation at the 2017 NCAA DII Championships. With two more years of eligibility remaining, Wamsley will be a factor for years to come at the NCAA DII level in women's cross country, and will get a chance to chase more honors this winter in Hillsdale's indoor track and field season.
Behind Wamsley, Hillsdale junior Margaret Scheske also put together a strong race for the Chargers. Competing in her third national meet for Hillsdale, Scheske posted both her best finish (76th) and her best time (21:47.8) at the NCAA DII Championships, finishing just 28 seconds away from her first-ever All-American honor while nearly matching her 6K personal best time of 21:42.5 in less-than-ideal conditions.
Scheske, who has been a part of Hillsdale's team for four years, has another year of eligibility to compete next fall if she chooses to use it, and will be a factor in the All-America conversation if she makes the same leap next year as she did this year. She'll also be in contention for more honors in indoor and outdoor track seasons for Hillsdale this winter and spring, particularly in the spring outdoor season, where she's been one of the top 3,000 meter steeplechase competitors at the NCAA DII level for several seasons now.
Photo courtesy of Meredith Wipper, Findlay Athletics