CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - A runaway win for Kellyn Johnson propelled the Wichita State women's cross country team to its third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference title Saturday, as the Shockers placed three runners in the top 10 to take the women's crown at the 2007 State Farm MVC Championships.

The Shockers saw their top four runners finish below the 18-minute mark on the 5-kilometer course at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls, Iowa, led by Johnson's time of 16:59.53. That showing, just two seconds off her season-best time, was good enough to keep Johnson some 20 seconds ahead of runner-up Traci Hawley of UNI.

Hawley, a senior, turned in a time of 17:20.40 to break the Panthers' school 5K record and help UNI to a third-place team finish. It was Hawley's second consecutive top-three finish at the MVC Championships.

Mica Land, who was sixth a year ago, finished third in 17:29.58 to boost Wichita State's championship effort, finishing just ahead of the Missouri State duo of Carrie Vestal (17:38) and Jamie Vest (17:40), who finished fourth and fifth to push the Bears to a second-place finish in the team race. Senior Asher Kyger's seventh-place finish in 17:43 also aided the Bears' team score,as the top three Missouri State runners set season-best times.

Illinois State's Suzy Turner was sixth in 17:41 to lead the Redbirds' fourth-place effort in the team standings, finishing ahead of Kyger and UNI junior Caedryn Schrunk, who finished eighth for the second consecutive season in 17:44.

Sophomore A'Seret Dokubo led the way for Southern Illinois with a ninth-place finish in 17:45, just ahead of the Shockers' Olivia Martinez, who rounded out the top 10 with a time of 17:50.

Kayla Alexander was Indiana State's top finisher, taking 11th in 17:52 to help the Sycamores to a fifth-place finish in the team race. Drake, which finished sixth as a team, got a 13th-place finish out of junior Nicole Braunsdorf, who at 17:59.68, was the last of 13 runners who clocked in below the 18-minute mark.

Only seven Valley runners had cracked the 18-minute barrier entering Saturday's meet.

Megan Foste was 14th in 18:03 to lead Creighton, which finished ninth as a team, while Bradley's Katie Nowak was 19th in 18:16 to lead the Braves, who finished eighth in the final standings.

Evansville was led by Andrea Sonnenschein, who clocked in at 18:06 to finish 16th.

The Shockers' title is the eighth all time for Wichita State and second in as many tries for second-year head coach Marc Burns.