Ella Dufault opened her junior season for Crown College with a strong performance among a crowd of NCAA Division I runners. The native of Waseca, Minnesota finished with a time of 18:28 in the Dragon Twilight 5,000-meter to finish 12thindividually. Only one NAIA performer finished in front of her, and she recorded the best time among NCCAA opponents. She led Crown to a first-place team finish in the event with an average mile pace of 5:56 in the race.
Nominees: Jelena Bausch, Faith Baptist Bible College; Ella Dufault, Crown College