LHU Women’s Cross Country Closes Remarkable Season at NCAA Championship

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – The Lock Haven University women’s cross country team closed a remarkable season by competing on the biggest stage as the Bald Eagles ran strong at the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Championship which was held today (Friday, Dec. 2) on a cold, wet, muddy, and at times snow-covered course at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Washington.

Leading the way for Lock Haven was Elaina Klinger (Danville, Pa./Danville). Klinger was The Haven’s top individual finisher after she covered the 6K course in 22:22.1. She placed 127^th (scored 106) out of 262 total runners in the elite field.

As a team, the Bald Eagles placed 31^st of 34.

Today marked just the second NCAA championship appearance in school history for the Lock Haven women’s cross country program. The only other national championship team appearance came in 2011 (placed 20^th in 2011).

Krista Jones (Friendsville, Pa./Elk Lake) and Gwen Lloyd (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion (Towson Univ.)) finished 160^th (scored 138^th) and 204^th (scored 178^th) with times of 22:47.1 and 23:19.8, respectively.

Morgan Perry (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) and Billie Jo Bollinger (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) capped Lock Haven’s top-five finishers today. Perry was 214^th (scored 188^th; 23:35.3) and Bollinger was 248^th (scored 222^nd; 24:32.8).

Aubrey Sechrist (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) and Megan Mudger (Cochranton, Pa./Cochranton) rounded out Lock Haven’s top-seven finishers today at the national championship

The Haven women entered today’s national-championship race on a high note for the program as the Bald Eagles were coming off a historic showing at the 2022 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championship, held on November 19. The Bald Eagles qualified for the NCAA Championships by way of their strong showing at the Atlantic regional. Behind a pair of top-10 individual finishes, Lock Haven placed third at the regional championship meet, which was the highest regional team finish since the Bald Eagles placed second in 2011.