The University of Minnesota Duluth put the finishing touches on its 2014 season  – and did so in historic fashion –  by placing third out of 32 teams at the NCAA Division II Championships on Saturday morning in Louisville, Ky. It marked the highest national finish ever for a UMD team, eclipsing the seventh-place showing turned in by the 2009 Bulldogs.

In addition, UMD produced four individual All-Americans, another program best.

The Bulldogs compiled a team score 118 points, three points behind runnerup Hillsdale College. Grand Valley State University captured its third consecutive title and fourth in five years with 50 points.
 

Sophomore Samantha Rivard paced the Bulldogs by taking 14th among 233 runners with a time of 21:38.0 in the 5.78K  race (the course was shortened from 6K due to women's courses because of extremely wet conditions.  Freshman Emi Trost was next for UMD (18th place; 21:42.3),  followed by sophomore Breanna Colbenson, (25th; 21:52.3.), junior Hannah Olson (27th; 21:53.5), and senior Alexandra Rudin (63rd; 22:33.2). Rivard (her second in as many years), Trost, Colbenson and Olson all attained All-America status. The rookie tandem of Amber Seidenkranz (23:16.80) and McKenzie Holt (23:48.3) placed 133rd and 185th, respectively, in their NCAA II national debuts.

"Nothing could have prepared us for the muddy conditions today, but we battled and made UMD cross country history,"  said Joanna Warmington. "I am so proud of this team."

2014 NCAA II Cross Country Championship Results

"Fun in the Mud" Video