Nov. 21, 2005
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Lindsay Zinn placed 116th at the 2005 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Cross.
Zinn completed the 6K circuit in 21:15.6, the third-fastest 6K time in Purdue women's cross country history. Only Amber Ferner and Kara Lahey have registered faster times, running a 20:54.2 and 21:11.2 at Eastern Michigan in the 2004 Great Lakes Regional Championship.
Zinn was just the third Boilermaker female to qualify for the national championship race, and the second in as many years. Becky Cotta competed at the 1982 NCAA Championships in Bloomington, and Ferner ran at the 2004 national championship race in Terre Haute.
Zinn's time, along with 116th overal out of 253 competitors, was 29th among 38 individual runners competing in the national championships.
"I was very happy for Lindsay today," head coach Jack Warner said. "She has had to struggle with injuries over her career and to finish up her cross country career after having such a great freshman campaign over four years ago is a tribute to her hard work and dedication to the sport of cross country."
The women's individual national champion was Northern Arizona's Johanna Nilsson, who finished in 19:33.9. The Stanford Carindal team came away with the top team finish, scoring 146 points.
Warner believes that Zinn's performace during the 2005 cross country season and at the NCAA Championships may be a sign of what con be expected from the Purdue senior.
"Lindsay now has a renewed confidence that will carry over to her indoor and outdoor campaigns on the track this year," Warner said. "We are looking for great things from Lindsay for the remainder of the year."