The Wabash cross country team put together a true team effort in a third place finish at the 2005 North Coast Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Championships at Denison Saturday morning.
The Little Giants grouped five runners within 22 seconds of one another to shock the field. Wabash was picked seventh in the conference preseason coaches poll.
Dennis Frazee (JR/Griffith, IN/Calumet) took 18th place with a time of 27:31, earning Honorable Mention All-Conference honors. The next four places would make the difference. Wabash took spots 21-24 to finish with 108 points with an average time of 27:44.
Junior Dustin Beck (New Carlisle, IN/New Prairie) would lead the parade of Wabash runners, finishing 21st with a time of 27:42. Sophomore Ben Bly (Indianapolis, IN/North Central) was one second back (27:43) in 22nd place. Charles Wohlhuter (JR/Wheaton, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) was the next Little Giant to cross the line, finishing 23rd with a time of 27:51. Freshman Sam Compton-Craig (Tipton, IN/Tipton) was the final Wabash runner to score, trailing Wohlhuter in 24th place by just two seconds (27:53).
Geoff Lambert (SO/Chesterton, IN/Chesterton) was 42nd (28:42) and Ethan Paul (SR/Evansville, IN/Reitz Memorial) took 45th (28:53).
Allegheny defended its men's title from 2004, scoring 26 points. Denison was second with 70, while Wabash took third with 108. Kenyon (112), Ohio Wesleyan (140), Oberlin (141), Earlham (149), Wooster (182), Wittenberg (255), and Hiram (330) rounded out the team scoring.
Wabash will participate in the NCAA Cross Country Regional Saturday, November 12 at Wilmington College in Ohio.