COMING UP: Season Complete
NATIONALS RECAP: The Yotes waited until the season finale to put together their most complete race of the season – defeating four teams ranked ahead of them in the final regular-season Top-25 poll (including top-ranked SCAD-Atlanta), placing second overall at the NAIA Championships in Vancouver, Wash. C of I had all five of their scoring runners in the Top-60 – including huge performances by
Lilly Whitehead in 44th-place and
Chaye Uptmor in 59th-place – as the Coyotes recorded 147 place-points, finishing behind only champion, Madonna.
ALL-AMERICA EFFORTS: The Yotes nearly tied a school-record with three All-America performances – but settled for two All-America honors.
Larissa Mauer capped an outstanding season with a 19th-place finish, claiming her second All-America honor (joining her effort in outdoor track), while
Molly Vitale-Sullivan shook off a late-season injury bug to grind out a 21st-place finish – earning her second cross country All-America honor and the ninth overall for her career.
Erin Moyer was edged out at the tape, placing 31st overall – a Nationals best for her – with the Top-30 earning All-America plaudits. Mauer and Vitale-Sullivan join Stephanie Helm (2008, 2009),
Hillary Holt (2011, 2012, 2013),
Sarah Johnson (2012),
Sora Klopfenstein (2011, 2012, 2013),
Lila Klopfenstein (2013, 2014, 2016) and
Amy Pfaff (2014, 2015) as All-Americans.
SCHOLAR-ATHLETES: Eight members of the Coyote team were honored by the Cascade Conference as U.S. Bank Academic All-CCC selections – all being at least a sophomore in academic standing and maintaining a 3.20 or better cumulative grade point average at the College. Earning the accolades were
Abigail Craig,
Kathryn Craig,
Madison Kingsbury,
Larissa Mauer,
Erin Moyer,
Chaye Uptmor,
Molly Vitale-Sullivan and
Lilly Whitehead.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Head coach
Austin Basterrechea capped off an outstanding 2019 season with his second postseason award – earning USTFCCCA West Region Coach of the Year honors. Basterrechea had previously earned Cascade Conference Coach of the Year honors after leading C of I to their first league crown since 2013.
SEASON REVIEW: It was a banner season for the Coyotes, capped by the silver medal performance at the NAIA Championships. C of I opened the year with a team victory at the Eastern Oregon Open, as
Molly Vitale-Sullivan earned the individual crown – one of three Coyotes in the Top-5. After a solid effort at the Division I-laden Capital Cross Challenge, the Yotes earned team wins at both the Warner Pacific Cross Country Classic and the Warrior Invite – before claiming the Cascade Conference title in Cottage Grove, Ore. – with Vitale-Sullivan, along with
Erin Moyer and
Larissa Mauer earning All-CCC honors.
THANK YOU SENIORS: The Coyotes will have to replace three seniors, who saw their eligibility run out in 2019 –
Kathryn Craig,
Lilly Whitehead and
Sage Czelder. Two others –
Abigail Craig and
Molly Vitale-Sullivan – are seniors academically, but have a year of eligibility remaining in cross country and will have the option whether to graduate this spring or return in 2020 for a final season.
LOOKING AHEAD: C of I will have a deep squad returning in 2020 – as current juniors
Erin Moyer,
Chaye Uptmor and
Madison Kingsbury, will be joined by sophomores
Larissa Mauer and
Zara Anderson – plus freshmen
Mikkala Perchetti and
Abbey Shirts (with the team having even more depth if
Abigail Craig and
Molly Vitale-Sullivan return as fifth-year seniors).
