For the past two seasons, the Oberlin College women’s cross country team has proven a force to be reckoned within the North Coast Athletic Conference. Last year the Yeowomen won the conference crown for the first time since 1984. This year, Head Coach Ray Appenheimer’s team came within one point of repeating as NCAC champions – even without its top three finishers from the 2006 Championships. Oberlin now has its eyes set on qualifying for the 2007 NCAA Championships, and leading the way is first-year sensation Joanna Johnson.

The Yeowomen have a bright future due in part to Johnson’s incredibly quick development. The Chico, California, native overwhelmed the competition at this year’s NCAC Championships, winning the six-kilometer race in just 22 minutes, 48 seconds.

“Joanna executed the race plan perfectly,” Appenheimer said. “She’s not blessed with the greatest finishing speed, so we knew that she would have to pick up the pace earlier than the other competitors expected. That’s how you win big races ­– you commit to doing something that the competition is not willing or ready to do.”

And that was exactly what Johnson did. She got off to a quick start and, never looking back, won the race by 11 seconds.

“She was willing to push the pace with more than a mile left in the race. No one else wanted to be in that kind of pain for that distance. It was great to watch, and she looked fantastic doing it,” Appenheimer added.

Johnson could have been a member of last year’s NCAC Championship squad, but she spent the 2006-07 academic year studying in Belgium as an exchange student. A biology major at Oberlin, she also studies French and is considering adding an environmental studies major to her plate. When she does find spare time, Johnson’s interests range from singing and jazz music to cooking and drawing; however, it is quite clear that running is her true love.

“When I crossed the line [at the NCAC Championships] I could hardly believe it,” Johnson said. “I never expected to win a race this year, but it felt wonderful to do so. It is very rewarding – running a good race is proof that all of my hard work and commitment has paid off. Also, it is a way for me to express my appreciation for, and my pride in, my team.”

Despite the success thus far in 2007, don’t look for anyone in the Oberlin camp to become complacent anytime soon. “We are looking to finish fourth in our region and obtain an at-large bid to the national championships,” said Appenheimer.  “Our track record this year and our performance at the regional meet will hopefully be enough to get us a spot.”

“My goal for regionals is to be among the top 15,” added Johnson. “This would allow me to qualify for nationals as an individual, and hopefully, help my team to qualify for nationals as well.”

Johnson and the Yeowomen will look to achieve their goal of running at nationals when they travel to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the NCAA Regional Championships on November 10.