Weiler Becomes an All-American and Mahalsky Makes Lehigh History at Nationals

Saturday, November 22

Terre Haute, Ind.

12:00 p.m.

Lehigh University

NCAA National Championship

Weiler Becomes an All-American and Mahalsky Makes Lehigh History at Nationals

11/22/2014 3:47:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Men's NCAA Championship Results | Women's NCAA Championship Results

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Despite all eyes being on the football game featuring the 150th meeting of Lehigh and Lafayette, Lehigh cross country runners, junior Elizabeth Weiler and senior Ryan Mahalsky created a landmark that no one has ever reached in Lehigh athletics history earlier on Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind.

Weiler ended her standout out junior season with a bang, finishing the NCAA Championship in 38th place, earning an All-America honor. Weiler is the first woman from the Lehigh cross country team to ever be named an All-American, and only the second female runner in Patriot League history. The junior earned the All-America title by finishing in the top 40 of the race, running the 6K on the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center course in 20:41.4.

"This has been the most unbelievable experience ever for me," said Weiler. "The events were the most well planned events I've been to and the NCAA made me feel very accomplished, it truly was a once in a lifetime experience. During the race, I was constantly looking for my teammates who traveled 14 hours to come support me and Ryan, even the biggest schools at the race didn't have the support that I had, I'm so lucky for that."

Other historic moments that Weiler set this year include running the Goodman Campus cross country course with the fastest time a Lehigh woman has ever run, and having the best finish a Lehigh woman has ever achieved at the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Regional.

"I'm so proud of both Ryan and Weiler," said women's head Coach Debbie Utesch. "The sacrifice that they went through all season, the miles, the diets, what they put their bodies through, it all shows that they just put it all out there. Elizabeth ran an outstanding race, starting in the 70's at 2K, then the 50's at 3K and finally the 40's around 5K. We had so many emotions today, but what an amazing and very cool day it has been."

The 2014 NCAA women's individual title was claimed by Iona junior Kate Avery, running the 6K in 19:31.6, while Michigan State took home the team title.

Mahalsky finished his collegiate career on Saturday with a tremendous outcome as well, finishing the NCAA Championship in 46th place, running the 10K in 31:03.7. Mahalsky now holds the best finish a Lehigh man has ever achieved at the NCAA Championship, just missing the All-America honor by six places. During the championship race, Mahalsky beat this year's Patriot League champion Stephen Schroeder of Navy handedly. The Midshipman finished in 182nd place running a 32:19.0 10K.

"This was the smoothest trip I've been on," said Mahalsky. "Having world record holder Jim Ryun talk to us really motivated me going into the race. It made me really want to go out there and represent Lehigh. It takes such a special group of people to travel out here to see us run, and for that I could not have asked for a better experience. I was so jacked up before my race because I saw that Elizabeth earned All-America, and I knew I could achieve the same greatness she did. I've never been in more pain at the end of a race but I've never been more happy. "

Mahalsky reached many milestones this season in addition to his most recent accomplishment at the NCAA Championship, including running the second fastest time a Lehigh man has ever run on the Goodman Campus cross country course, and having Lehigh's best finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional for a male runner.

"You see what these kids do day in and day out and the courage Ryan had to set a goal this high shows his commitment," said head men's coach Todd Etters. "To see where this Lehigh program was 15 years ago to now is a dream come true to me and so its special to have Ryan and Elizabeth be apart of it. They laid down the ground work for the future and success Lehigh cross country. During the race, Ryan did exactly what he needed to do; he was aggressive at the start and survived the rest of the way. To make it into the top 50 in this sport in a race like this is something he should really be proud of"

The 2014 men's individual title was claimed by Edward Cheserek of Oregon, his second consecutive title. The team title was captured by Colorado University for its second year in a row as well.