South Delta Secondary graduate Peggy Noel wrapped up an impressive sophomore season by helping Simon Fraser University women's team place seventh at the NCAA Division II Cross-Country Championships in Louisville, Kentucky.
Noel was one of five SFU runners to finish in the top 75, placing 49th in a time of 22:29.90, over the 5.78 kilometre course.
The Clan women, ranked sixth heading into the meet, finished as the top team from the West Region, with a aggregate time of 1:51.39.9, edging Alaska in eighth by 28 seconds, and finishing in front of Western Washington in 12th and Chico State, which was 13th.
"We can't be disappointed finishing seventh because we were the No. 1 team in the region," said
Clan head coach Brit Townsend.
"The course was slow, wet and muddy so it was tailormade for the tough mudders. We are a team of track athletes running cross country so the course really slowed us down."
SFU headed to Kentucky with plenty of momentum after taking top honours at the West Region Championships
in Billings, Montana. Noel finished 20th in a time of 22:06.43. Teammate Rebecca Bassett was third (21:06.59).
Earlier, SFU captured its firstever Great Northwest Conference title by edging out five-time defending champion Alaska Anchorage. Noel was 20th as the Clan defeated Alaska by just a single point, while third place Western Washington was only two points back.
