Oakland University senior cross country runner Kristie Kieffer competed with the top distance runners in the United States and became the first Oakland runner to ever compete at the USA National Cross Country Championships, which were held in Indianapolis Feb. 7.

Kieffer, who is from Sterling Heights, Mich., finished 30th of 59 runners, covering the snowy 8K course in 30:06. Three-time Olympian Colleen de Reuck won the race in a time of 26:16. The top six finishers in the open and junior races will go on to represent the United States at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Brussels, Belgium.

Kieffer finished an outstanding career at OU in the fall, setting school records at both 5K and 6K distances and capturing the Mid-Continent Conference individual title on Nov. 1. She also was named the conference’s Athlete of the Year for the second time in her career. A six-time Mid-Con cross country athlete of the week this past season, she placed first in four races and finished 13th at the NCAA Great Lakes regional competition in a time of 21:10.7.

For more information on OU's cross country teams, visit the OU Athletics Web site.