FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

Men's Results

Women's Results

JOPLIN, Mo. (Nov. 17, 2012)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside men's and women's cross country squads each sent a representative to the NCAA Division II Championships on Saturday with both Evan Lewandowski and Jessica Watychowicz surging to the front of the pack to collect All-American accolades.

Lewandowski made a huge surge over the second half of the men's race, finishing the 10,000-meter race at the MIssouri Southern State University campus course in 30 minutes, 18.9 seconds to place 34th overall. The junior moved up 22 spots after crossing the halfway mark in 56th place in 14:51.7. The top 40 runners all secure All-America status by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

On the women's side, Watychowicz came out blazing, crossing the 3,000-meter mark in 26th place before crossing the tape 32nd overall in 21:11.9 for the 6,000-meter race, capturing All-American honors for the first time in her career. The senior becomes the second Ranger in as many years to earn the distinction after Hope Christie earned All-America status after finishing 35th in 2011.

The University of Alaska-Anchorage's Micah Chelimo claimed the individual title at the men's race, touring the course in 28:56.6 while Adams State University secured its fourth team national championship in the last five years with 34 points, outdistancing runner-up Colorado School of Mines by 68 points.

Alicia Nelson of Adams State won the women's championship, crossing the finish in 20:03.3 while Grand Valley State University claimed its second title in three years, edging Augustana College by a razor-thin three point margin.

The rest of the Rangers closed out the season at the 2012 Midwest Regional on Nov. 3 hosted by UW-Parkside at the Dannehl Cross Country Course. The men's squad placed sixth, missing Nationals as a team by one slot while the women placed 10th.