Question Related to Hollander: Has a True Freshman Ever Won NCAA Women's XC?

I think Suzie Tuffey in 1985 was a freshman.

Not 100% sure though

BuckyBadger wrote:

I think Suzie Tuffey in 1985 was a freshman.

Not 100% sure though

That's the way I remember it as well, went on to set the AJR in the 5K as well that spring. From then on was a very good runner but not the success she had frosh year.

Yes she was. Dec '85 TFN reports she played tennis in HS and thought it was weird to run year-round. Runner up that year was...our old friend Regina Jacobs.

Currently checking AIAW championships to see if a true fresh ever won there. IIRC, a frosh at Colorado named Mary Decker pulled it off.

Preview article says Tuffey went to Wisconsin but she went to NCSU. Decker was not a true freshman in1978 when she won. She won after 2 leaders made a wrong turn with 200 to go.

Yes. This will not parse well, but here is a listing with more info:

AIAW

1975 Ames, Iowa Iowa State (96) Penn State (104) 7th (221) Peg Neppel (Iowa State) 16:31.0

1976 Madison, Wis. Iowa State (62) CSU-Northridge (110) 3rd (177) Julie Brown (CSU-Northridge) 16:29.8

1977 Austin, Texas Iowa State (92) Penn State (116) 4th (172) Kathy Mills (Penn State) 16:58.2

1978 Denver, Colo. Iowa State (119) N.C. State (144) 5th (190) Mary Decker (Colorado) 16:59.4

1979 Tallahassee, Fla. N.C. State (108) Oregon (120) 4th (142) Julie Shea (N.C. State) 16:36.0

1980 Seattle, Wash. N.C. State (76) Arizona (133) 9th (285) Julie Shea (N.C. State) 16:48.0

1981 Pocatello, Idaho Iowa State (80) Purdue (110) 3rd (114) Dorthe Rasmussen (Iowa State) 17:36.0

NCAA

1981 Wichita, Kan. Virginia (36) Oregon (83) DNA (—) Betty Jo Springs (N.C. State) 16:19.0

1982 Bloomington, Ind. Virginia (48) Stanford (91) 10th (211) Lesley Welch (Virginia) 16:39.7

1983 Bethlehem, Pa. Oregon (95) Stanford (98) 5th (107) Betty Jo Springs (N.C. State) 16:30.7

1984 State College, Pa. Wisconsin (63) Stanford (89) 1st (63) Cathy Branta (Wisconsin) 16:15.6

1985 Milwaukee, Wis. Wisconsin (58) Iowa State (98) 1st (58) Suzie Tuffey (N.C. State) 16:22.5

1986 Tucson, Ariz. Texas (62) Wisconsin (64) 2nd (64) Angela Chalmers (N. Arizona) 16:55.49

1987 Charlottesville, Va. Oregon (98) N. Carolina State (99) 6th (155) Kim Betz (Indiana) 16:10.85

1988 Des Moines, Iowa Kentucky (75) Oregon (128) 5th (172) Michelle Dekkers (Indiana) 16:30.0

1989 Annapolis, Md. Villanova (54) Kentucky (168) DNQ (—) Vicki Huber (Villanova) 15:59.9

1990 Knoxville, Tenn. Villanova (82) Providence (172) 10th (266) Sonia O’Sullivan (Villanova) 16:06.0

1991 Tucson, Ariz. Villanova (85) Arkansas (168) T6th (193) Sonia O’Sullivan (Villanova) 16:30.3

1992 Bloomington, Ind. Villanova (23) Arkansas (130) T6th (179) Carole Zajac (Villanova) 17:01.9

1993 Bethlehem, Pa. Villanova (66) Arkansas (71) DNQ (—) Carole Zajac (Villanova) 16:40.3

1994 Fayetteville, Ark. Villanova (75) Michigan (108) 8th (233) Jennifer Rhines (Villanova) 16:31.2

1995 Ames, Iowa Providence (88) Colorado (123) 10th (256) Kathy Butler (Wisconsin) 16:51.0

1996 Tucson, Ariz. Stanford (101) Villanova (106) 8th (226) Amy Skieresz (Arizona) 17:04.0

1997 Greenville, S.C. Brigham Young (100) Stanford (102) 5th (227) Carrie Tollefson (Villanova) 16:29.0

1998 Lawrence, Kan. Villanova (106) Brigham Young (110) 5th (233) Katie McGregor (Michigan) 16:47.2

1999 Bloomington, Ind. Brigham Young (72) Arkansas (125) 4th (185) Erica Palmer (Wisconsin) 16:39.5

2000 Ames, Iowa Colorado (117) Brigham Young (167) 8th (298) Kara Grgas-Wheeler (Colorado) 20:30.5

2001 Greenville, S.C. Brigham Young (62) N.C. State (148) DNQ (—) Tara Chaplin (Arizona) 20:24.0

2002 Terre Haute, Ind. Brigham Young (85) Stanford (113) 19th (488) Shalane Flanagan (N. Carolina) 19:36.0

2003 Waterloo, Iowa Stanford (120) Brigham Young (128) 26th (528) Shalane Flanagan (N. Carolina) 19:30.4

2004 Terre Haute, Ind. Colorado (63) Duke (144) DNQ (—) Kim Smith (Providence) 20:09.0

2005 Terre Haute, Ind. Stanford (146) Colorado (181) 20th (469) Johanna Nilsson (N. Arizona) 19:33.9

2006 Terre Haute, Ind. Stanford (195) Colorado (223) 4th (262) Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech) 20:11.1

2007 Terre Haute, Ind. Stanford (145) Oregon (177) 20th (458) Sally Kipyago (Texas Tech) 19:30.9

2008 Terre Haute, Ind. Washington (79) Oregon (131) 19th (530) Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech) 19:28.1