FSU'S JENNY IRWIN CLAIMS ALL-AMERICA LAURELS
Senior Runner First Women's Cross Country All-America Honoree
Senior Jenny Irwin (Scottville/Mason County Central) of the 2005 Ferris State University women's cross country team earned All-America honors with a 20th-place finish in the 25th annual NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championships held Saturday (Nov. 19) in Pomona, Calif.
Irwin completed the six-kilometer (K) race in a time of 22:11.7 to become the first female women's cross country All-American in Bulldog history. Her performance also represented the highest finish ever for a FSU women's performer at the Division II Women's Cross Country Championships.
Mandi Zemba of Grand Valley State took the women's individual title in a time of 21:01.7 on Chino Hills' Prado Park Course as the Lakers placed second behind Adams State (Colo.) in the team scoring.
Irwin advanced individually to the national championships by virture of her fourth place All-Great Lakes Region performance at the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Championships held Nov. 5 on FSU's Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, Mich. Irwin completed the 6K regional course in a time of 21:45.1. The top two individuals not associated with one of the top four qualifying teams also garnered national meet berths.
A four-year letterwinner, Irwin claimed first-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) honors for the third consecutive season this campaign with a runner-up effort (22:57.6) at the 2005 GLIAC Championships (Oct. 22) in Marquette, Mich. She attained All-GLIAC accolades last season with a fourth-place (22:37.30) finish at the 2004 GLIAC Cross Country Championships (10/23) in Hudsonville, Mich. Irwin placed among the top five meet competitors in all seven of her races this campaign prior to the national championships, which included five individual titles.
This season marked the second consecutive year Irwin advanced to the national championships. She placed 46th overall in the 2004 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championships (11/20) at Evansville, Ind. She was the lone Bulldog runner to compete in the national meet and completed the 6K course in a time of 23:16.8 last campaign.
The Bulldog women's team finished one spot short of qualifying as a team for the national championships as the Bulldogs placed fifth in the regional event for the second consecutive year under 10th-year head coach Jeff Kavalunas. FSU took third overall in the GLIAC Championships this season.
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