For several years, Student Life has relied on photo spreads of Washington University athletes to fill our pages. This year is different. The sports section conducted an informal survey with the athletes we have covered in the past.

For the first time in Washington University history, the men’s and women’s cross country teams finished in the top 10 at the NCAA National Championships.

The Washington University women’s cross country team earned a spot in the NCAA Division III National Championship meet with a second place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Saturday in Oshkosh, Wis.

Taryn Surtees finished first with a 21:07 as the women’s cross country team won the 2009 UAA championship. Surtees earned the UAA Most Valuable Athlete title for the second year in a row and is the Student Life Athlete of the week.

Junior Taryn Surtees won the individual title for the second year in a row as the women’s cross country team captured the University Athletic Association title. The men’s team took fourth overall, following New York, Emory and Carnegie Mellon universities.

Only the number one team in the country could beat Wash. U.’s women’s cross country team in Saturday’s meet at Oshkosh, Wis. The men’s team finished seventh out of 35 as the women beat out 32 other squads.

The men’s and women’s cross country teams finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in Saturday’s Gibson Family Invitational meet hosted by DePauw University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

The men’s and women’s cross country teams performed strongly in a tough field filled with Division I opponents at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday. The men’s team finished 17th out of 38 squads while the women’s team took ninth.

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams easily ran into second place in Saturday’s Saluki Invitational Meet in Carbondale, Ill. Pitted against cross country competitors such as Division I Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and Division I University of Evansville, the Bears secured second place with a clear margin.

The air around Francis Field was heavy with disappointment Saturday afternoon as the Washington University football team suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Wittenberg University Tigers. With a final score of 46-0, it was evident that the Tigers were dominant on both the offensive and defensive fronts; the second quarter alone provided 36 of Wittenberg’s 46 points.