In her four years at Washington University, Liz Phillips picked up seven All-America honors and countless national academic awards and was the captain of Wash. U.’s first-ever national-championship-winning cross country team. But there’s a chance she’ll be adding one more award to that list.

Racing against a field full of state schools in Saturday’s Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic may have pushed the Washington University cross-country teams out of their normal top-three perch, but it also provided the experience of racing against elite competition. As one of nine non-Division I squads in a pool of 31, the No.

Washington University cross-country head coach Jeff Stiles has referred to the 2011 cross-country team as “the best team in school history.” And with the women’s team winning its first national championship ever and the men’s team finishing in third place at nationals, it’s tough to argue with that assessment. So how do they follow that up in 2012?

The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named Washington University cross-country head coach Jeff Stiles the 2011 Division III Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year last week.

With the regular season successes of the Washington University volleyball, cross country and men’s and women’s soccer teams, a postseason berth was essentially a foregone conclusion for all four teams.

Led by individual champions Michael Burnstein and Erica Jackey, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams defended their UAA championship titles Saturday in Chicago. On a sunny day with temperatures in the high 40s, Burnstein claimed his second straight first-place finish in the men’s 8K race, with a time of 25:29.80.

Freshman Lucy Cheadle broke into the collegiate cross-country scene quickly, matching senior star Liz Phillips stride-for-stride in the season’s first meet, missing an individual title by a mere 0.3 seconds. That was on Sept. 3 at the Washington University Big River Running Early Bird Meet. Fast forward to Cheadle’s second race, Oct.

Midway through the fall season, Washington University has seen its varsity teams prosper. The Bears are collectively off to one of the best starts in the school’s history, with six of seven fall teams ranked in the top 10 nationally. Student Life’s sports section took a closer look at the numbers behind Wash. U.’s strong showing in the fall of 2011.

In their first major meet of the season, the Washington University men’s and women’s cross country teams edged several Division I and II competitors.

In their first major meet of the season, the men’s and women’s cross country teams edged several Division I and II competitors. The fourth-ranked men’s team finished 14th out of 29 at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday, Oct. 1, while the second-ranked women’s team took 13th out of 30.