Northern Athletics Conference Announces Postseason Women’s Cross Country Awards

AURORA, Ill. November 2, 2006 - The Aurora University women’s cross country team had significant representation on the 2006 Northern Athletics Conference All-Conference team and Head Cross Country Coach James Kluckhohn was named NAC women’s cross country Coach of the Year.

The postseason honors came following AU’s winning the inaugural NAC Women’s Cross Country Championship. In winning the NAC Championship, AU has won consecutive conference championships with the Spartans having won the 2005 Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC) women’s cross country meet, the first women’s cross country championship in school history.

The Spartan women’s cross country team was led by Northern Athletics Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year Fran Sikorski (Lombard, IL/Driscoll Catholic) and Rookie of the Year Morgan Jacquette (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake H.S.). Joining Sikorski and Jacquette as All-Conference selections was sophomore Kristen Renninger (Aurora, IL/Aurora Central Catholic).

Sikorski won the inaugural meet with a time of 24:22.1, while Jacquette finished sixth with a time of 25:25.5 and Renninger finished in eighth with a time of 26:09.2.

Spartan freshmen runners Megan Cinto (Sugar Grove, IL/Kaneland H.S.) and Lisa Guzman (Woodridge, IL/Downers Grove South H.S.) were selected as NAC Honorable Mention All-Conference. Cinto finished 13th in the conference meet with a time of 26:34.6, while Guzman finished 17th with a time of 26:52.9.

AU Head Coach James Kluckhohn was named the NAC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year as selected by his peers, just one year after being named NIIC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. Kluckhohn led the Spartan women to the second consecutive conference championship in their fourth season of existence.

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