Wieferich Wins All-Ohio Intercollegiate Cross Country Championships

Katie Wieferich is pictured here on her way to the individual win at Friday's All-Ohio meet, which includes NCAA Div. I, II, and III and NAIA schools. (Photo by Pat Kindig '00)

The College of Wooster’s Katie Wieferich outraced 263 of the other top collegiate runners from across the Buckeye State, winning the women’s individual title at Friday afternoon’s All-Ohio Intercollegiate Cross Country Championships, a unique meet that annually brings together harriers from NCAA Div. I, II, and III as well as NAIA schools.

Wieferich is Wooster’s first individual All-Ohio champion (the women’s meet has taken place every year since 1981 and the men’s since 1955) and the first non-Div. I winner in the women’s division since 2000 (Malone College).

Wieferich, who was the first Div. III runner to cross the finish line and ninth overall last year (18:38.8), cruised over the 5K course at the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio, in 18:11.5 on Friday, 13 seconds faster than her nearest competitor (18:24.1). The remaining top-eight finishers all hailed from Div. I schools, three from Ohio State University, two representing Bowling Green State University, and one each from the University of Akron and Ohio University.

The individual first-place effort from Wieferich boosted the Fighting Scots to a 20th-place showing out of 38 teams, including ninth of 17 in Div. III. Ohio University won the women’s team championship and Case Western Reserve University took top honors among Div. III institutions.

Coming in the top-100 overall individually for Wooster was Nicole Calderone, whose time of 20:26.9 was good for 98th-place and 31st among 115 Div. III runners. The Scots’ other three scorers were Ashley Zervos, Caitlin O’Riordan, and Erin Fortin, who finished 38th (20:39.4), 58th (21:34.6), and 68th (21:49.4) in Div. III, respectively.

In the men’s race, Wooster came in 27th of 42 total teams, including 12th of 22 in Div. III, while Ohio State won the overall competition and Mt. Union College took the Div. III crown.

Individually, the Scots were paced by Rudy Gilman, who was the 120th harrier to cross the line out of 278 after covering the 8K course in 28:18.1. That time was 43rd-best in Div. III. Running close behind Gilman was teammate Dave Thomas in 56th (28:35.9), followed by Rick Workman in 76th (29:04.8), Mark DeWine in 84th (29:25.6), and Terry Workman in 93rd (29:44.6).

Next on the schedule for Wooster is a home meet, the Jim Bean Classic, on Oct. 13.