Johnson Places 64Th At Ncaas

Eastern Washington University senior Amber Johnson placed 64th at Monday’s NCAA Cross Country Championships in Bloomington, Ind.

Johnson covered the 5,000-meter course in 17:47.5 to rank as the fourth-best finisher among runners from the Big Sky Conference. Johnson, a 1996 graduate of North Central High School, was one of 250 who finished the race.

Kari McKay is the only other Eagle to compete in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. She was 69th as a junior in 1991 and 33rd the following year as a senior.

Ryan Craig, a University of Portland freshman from Rogers High School, was 220th in the men’s division. He finished 17 places in front of Adam Tenforde, the Stanford freshman from Hanford, who dominated area runners last year.

South Alabama freshman David Kimani and Wisconsin sophomore Erica Palmer won the individual titles, while the Arkansas men and Brigham Young women captured the team titles.

Kimani covered the 10-kilometer course in 30:07, setting a course record and capping an undefeated season. He began running competitively this year and arrived in the United States from Kenya 11 weeks ago.

Palmer, celebrating her 20th birthday, won the women’s 5-kilometer race in 16:40.