Stangler, Mokaya, Hellman and Schuck Earn Cross Country Honors
Rachel Stangler
Rachel Stangler of Augustana and Denise Moyaka of Minnesota State have been named the Outstanding Athletes for their efforts at the North Central Conference Cross Country Championships held October 20 in Carlton, Minn. while Tracy Hellman of Augustana and Mark Schuck of Minnesota State have been named the North Central Conference Cross Country Coaches of the Year. The award is voted on by the conference's cross country coaches.
Both Stangler and Mokaya won the NCC Championship.
Stangler, a senior from Albany, Minn., covered the 6K course in 21:39.00 and helped lead Augustana to its first NCC Women's Cross Country championship with a decisive 24-point victory over second-place North Dakota. She had a four-second margin over second-place Ramsey Kavan of South Dakota.
Moyaka, a freshman from Kenya, edged teammate James Krajsa for the title after touring the 8K course in 24:46.5. Minnesota State claimed its fourth consecutive NCC men's cross country title with a dominating 38-point victory of second-place Augustana.
Tracy Hellman of Augustana and Mark Schuck of Minnesota State have been named the North Central Conference Cross Country Coaches of the Year announced today by the conference office. The award is voted on by the conference's cross country coaches.
Hellman led the Augustana women's cross country team to its first North Central Conference title. The Vikings outdistanced second-place North Dakota 61 to 36. It is the first time that Hellman has won the award in cross country. All five of Augustana's scoring runner finished in the top 12 with Rachel Stangler claiming the championship.
Schuck guided the Mavericks to their fourth consecutive NCC title. MSU was 38 points better than Augustana in the team championship and had all five scoring runners in the top 10, including first place Denise Mokaya, second-place James Krajsa and fourth-place Dan Ristau. It is the fifth time overall and fourth consecutive time that Schuck has been honored by his peers with the other laurels coming in 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2006.