WARRENVILLE, Ill. – The Vikings traveled to Warrenville, Illinois for the CCIW Cross Country Championships on Saturday. The Vikings' fifth-place finish on the women's side was highlighted by Emma Odle, who ran her way to an individual championship title. Odle, who bested her nearest competitor by 30 seconds, led the race from gun to tape for a decisive victory. In 2023, Odle finished in second place. Her 2024 final time of 21:30.5 is a nearly 45-second improvement from last year's CCIW Championship meet, a personal best, and a new school record over the 6k distance. Odle is Augie's first women's cross country CCIW Champion since 1998.
 
Behind Odle, freshman Keira Nelson also boasted a new personal best, finishing in 21st place with a time of 23:30.3. A chase pack of Ryan Jednachowski, Sammy Lehr, and Ellie DeFarno followed closely behind Nelson. Jednachowski raced to 26th place with a time 23:40.9, Lehr finished in 27th place with a time of 23:43.3, and DeFarno followed in 28th place with a time of 23:45.1. The efforts by Jednachowski, Lehr, and DeFarno also bettered their previous personal bests.
 
Augustana's next race will take place at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, Illinois. Information for the NCAA Midwest Regional is found here.