Ramsey Finishes Fourth, Saints 11th Overall at NCAA Championship

by: 

Tara Freeman

Dan Ramsey finished in 4th place overall at the 2009 NCAA Championship on Saturday.

Nov. 21: St. Lawrence University junior Dan Ramsey earned his first collegiate All-America honors on Saturday at the 2009 NCAA Division III Cross Country championship race in Cleveland, OH.  The Essex Junction, VT native raced the Highland Park Golf Course in 25:35 to finish in 4^th place overall out of 276 competitors, pacing the men's cross country team to 11^th overall out of 32 teams.

Ramsey is the program's second All-American in the last three seasons, joining Erik Donahoe from 2007, and 14^th all-time.  This was St. Lawrence's 13^th appearance in the NCAA Championship race.

"We set our sights on improving from our 17^th place finish from last year and I'm so proud that we were able to accomplish that in style," said St. Lawrence head coach John Newman.  "Dan (Ramsey) had a fantastic race and ours seniors provided great leadership all season long."

Following Ramsey for St. Lawrence was junior Jeremy Mwenda in 64^th place overall in a time of 26:30, while sophomore John Johnston delivered a big race in 97^th overall (26:43).  Seniors Geoff Millard (147^th, 27:04) and Jacob Malcomb (179^th, 27:22) rounded out the team's scoring at 375 points, only two shy of Wisconsin-La Cross in the top-10.

Seniors Jeremy Beaudette and co-captain Terrence Fox rounded out the squad's roster on Saturday.  Competing in their final collegiate cross country events, Beaudette was 190^th (27:27) and Fox was 231^st (27:51).

The national championship was won by North Central (IL) with an impressive 50 points, while Lynchburg's Ricky Flynn won the individual title in a time of 25:09.