2021 Women's Cross Country Season Review

COMING UP: Season Complete
 
YOTES PLACE FIFTH AT NAIA CHAMPIONSHIPS: An outstanding season for The College of Idaho women's cross country team was capped off by a fifth-place finish at the NAIA National Championships in Vancouver, Wash. Competing on a soggy course on a rainy day, the Coyotes had all five of their scoring runners place in the Top-100 – finishing as the top West Coast team in the 36-team race.
 
ANOTHER TOP-5 / TOP-10 FINISH: It marked the third-straight year C of I has placed within the Top-5 and the fifth Top-5 finish at Nationals for the Yotes. In addition, it marked the 11th time the team has logged a Top-10 finish at the Championships, while the squad combined with the Coyote men's team to place third overall in the combined standings.
 
TINGELSTAD PLACES IN TOP-10: Cascade Conference Women's Runner of the Year, Ellyse Tingelstad, closed out a banner fall season with her second-straight NAIA All-America honor, placing eighth overall. The sophomore became the sixth Coyote to earn a Top-10 finish at Nationals, joining Sarah Johnston, Hillary Holt, Sora Klopfenstein, Lila Klopfenstein and Molly Vitale-Sullivan in the elite group. Tingelstad recorded back-to-back race wins heading into the national meet – earning victories at both the Warrior Invite and the CCC Championships.
 
MARTIN ADDS TO HER RESUME: Coming off an outstanding track season, Sage Martin built off the success and closed out the season with consecutive big efforts – including earning All-America honors at the NAIA Championships. The sophomore, who finished as the runner-up at the CCC Championships, placed 35th overall among the over 300 runners in Vancouver – becoming C of I's 11th runner to earn All-America honors in program history.
 
MAUER JOINS ELITE COMPANY: Larissa Mauer was the Yotes third finisher at the meet, placing 47th overall – the fourth-straight NAIA Championships that she has finished in the Top-75. The two-time cross country All-American became just the third Coyote to record four Top-75 finishes at Nationals – joining Hillary Holt (2010-13) and Lila Klopfenstein (2012-15) in the select group.
 
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK: Head coach Austin Basterrechea was named CCC Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year and was also honored as the USTFCCCA West Region Coach of the Year.
 
LOOKING BACK AT 2021: C of I competed in four races prior to the CCC Championships – racing for the first time on Central Washington's Campus Course and the La Grande Country Club – with the Yotes sweeping the podium (Kahea Figueira, Larissa Mauer, Sage Martin) to win the CWU Invitational, with Figueira taking second at Eastern Oregon, helping the team to a second-place finish. After competing in at the Steve Reeder Memorial in Utah against Division I opponents, the Coyotes earned a dominating win at the Warrior Invite in California, paced by a victory from Ellyse Tingelstad – setting the stage for their third-straight CCC title.
 
ACADEMIC AWARDS: Nine members of the women's cross country team were honored as part of the CCC All-Academic Team – being at least a sophomore in academic standing and maintaining a 3.20 cumulative grade point average. Earning the distinction were Peyton Badger, Charlie Duff, Bree Lewis, Sage Martin, Larissa Mauer, Megan McManus, Abbey Shirts, Ruthy Stamp and Ellyse Tingelstad.
 
TRACK SEASON A MONTH AWAY: Training has begun for the upcoming indoor track season, which will kick off during the month of January. With Boise State not hosting meets in Nampa, the Yotes will travel to Pocatello for a trio of events, along with hosting the second Polar Vortex Classic in February.