Lenoir-Rhyne’s Kate Griewisch Finishes 18th At NCAA Championship, Mars Hill Men’s Team Finishes 24th

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Lenoir-Rhyne University's Kate Griewisch placed 18th out of 187 runners Saturday at the 2010 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championship meet, while the Mars Hill College men's team finished 24th.

The race was held at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky., as a part of the 2010 Division II Fall Sports Festival.

Griewisch, a junior from Banner Elk, N.C., ran a 21:49 on the 6K course and earned All-America honors for the second year in a row.

All-American accolades are recognized by the USTFCCCA (United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association).

Grand Valley State captured the NCAA D ivision II National Championship while Shippensburg's Neely Spence (20:41) won the individual title.

Two weeks ago, Griewisch won the Southeast Regional race in Charlotte, N.C., and placed second in the South Atlantic Conference meet on Saturday, November 6, in Wingate, N.C.

Griewisch has won the regional meet for the past two years and is the two-time reigning USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women's Athlete Of The Year.

Griewisch, the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Women's Cross Country Runner Of The Year, is a three-time, first-team all-league honoree (2008-10) and a two-time conference women's cross country scholar-athlete of the year (2009-10).

The Mars Hill men's cross country team finished 24th in the 2010 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship.

Justin Gragg was the top finisher for the Lions. His time in the 10k run was 32:39.5.

Trey McCain was second on the team to cross the finish line. His time in the event was 34:03.8.

Aaron Thomas rounded out the top three for Mars Hill. He posted a time of 34:13.4.

Adams State won the team championship. Michael Crouch from Queens University of Charlotte finished first in the meet.