CL grad earns All-American status at CSS

College of St. Scholastica's Chelsea Johnson, North Branch, had the highest finish of any CSS women's cross country runner before her at an NCAA Championship race, placing 15th at the 2012 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, with a program record time of 21:30.3. Johnson, who ran in high school for the Wildcats, was 15th at the halfway point with a time of 10:31. Johnson would maintain that position and finish with a personal-best time of 21:30.3. She missed 13th by a tenth of a second. She also finished ahead of Central Region champion and conference foe, Linda Keller of the University of Minnesota Morris, who was 18th overall with a time of 21:32.6. Keller had defeated Johnson at the region meet, UMAC Championship meet and Roy Griak Invitational this season. The only other NCAA Division III All-American in program history belongs to CSS Hall of Famer Susan Immer, who was 24th in the 1990 championship meet with a 5k time of 18:26. Katelyn Meger was the last CSS runner to compete at nationals finishing at 43 both in 2008 and 2009.