NIIC Announces Postseason Cross Country Awards

AURORA, Ill. November 10, 2005 - The Aurora University men’s and women’s cross country teams each had significant representation on the 2005 Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference All-Conference teams and Head Cross Country Coach James Kluckhohn was named NIIC women’s cross country Coach of the Year.

The Spartan women’s cross country team was led by three Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference selections following their winning the 2005 NIIC women’s cross country meet, the first women’s cross country NIIC championship in school history. Senior Jenn Garlinsky (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland HS) won the NIIC individual meet title, winning the 6k race in a time of 25:38. Freshman Kristen Renninger (Aurora, IL/Aurora Christian HS) received NIIC All-Conference after her sixth-place finish in a time of 26:04 in the NIIC meet and junior Stephanie Carson (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley HS) repeated as an NIIC All-Conference recipient with an eighth-place finish in a time of 26:09.

AU Head Coach James Kluckhohn was named the NIIC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year as selected by his peers. The Spartan women captured the NIIC championship in just their third season of existence and finished the year with back-to-back meet victories at the NIIC meet and the Rockford College Invitational.

The men’s cross country team was led by NIIC All-Conference selections sophomore David Mathew (Aurora, IL/Aurora Central Catholic HS) and freshman Craig Mariano (Schaumburg, IL/Schaumburg HS). Mathew finished fourth in the NIIC meet with a time of 29:12, while Mariano finished ninth with a time of 30:23.

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