Big Ten Network : Cross Country Top Stories

Mickow paces Illinois to 10th place finish

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:11:00 +0000

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Fighting Illini men's cross country team wrapped up the 2009 season at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Saturday at the Missouri State Cross Country Course. The squad placed 10th of 25 teams in the 10K race. Sophomore Colin Mickow earned All-Region accolades with an 18th place finish overall to lead the Illini for the sixth time this season. "Colin Mickow had a phenomenal race," cross country coach Wendel McRaven said. "He put himself in position from the start to run with the lead pack and from there, he executed the race plan. The team ran into some problems in the third quarter of the race, and we didn't finish as well as we have all season." Crossing the finish line second for the Orange and Blue and 57th overall was sophomore Jim Riddle with a time of 32:40. Finishing right behind Riddle was freshman Tom Achtien in 58th with a time of 32:41. Rounding out the Illini scoring were sophomores Nate Troester and Kyle Engnell, finishing 72nd and 87th overall, respectively. The Orange and Blue finished 10th place overall with 278 total team points. Oklahoma State took the team title with 50 points while junior Hassan Mead of Minnesota took home the individual title with a 10K time of 30:21. "Although we did not finish how we thought we were ready to, we got some good experience as a team," McRaven said. "This is a young team, and we will continue to learn and grow together to prepare for next season." Mickow is on the bubble to qualify for an individual bid to the NCAA National Championships, which will be held on Monday, Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. Qualifiers for Nationals will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 15th by 7:00 p.m. TEAM RESULTS (TOP 15) 1. Oklahoma State 50 2. Oklahoma 71 3. Iowa State 109 4. Minnesota 125 5. Southern Illinois 160 6. Iowa 170 7. Tulsa 174 8. Nebraska 248 9. Kansas 252 10. Illinois 278 11. Missouri 302 12. Illinois State 333 13. South Dakota State 375 14. Loyola (Ill.) 400 15. Illinois-Chicago 452

Illini's Bizzarri wins Midwest Regionals

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:23:00 +0000

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- After tallying three consecutive runner-up finishes at the past three NCAA Midwest Regionals, senior and seven-time All-American Angela Bizzarri won the 6K race on Saturday with a time of 20:07.5 and earned All-Region honors for the fourth consecutive year. The No. 13-ranked Illinois women's cross country team placed second at the Missouri State Cross Country Course, as four runners finished in the top 25 to garner All-Region honors. By finishing among the top-two teams at the meet, the Illini earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. The Illini had a team total of 86 points and were 26 points behind champion Minnesota. The runner-up finish for the Orange and Blue marks the third time in three years that the Illini have taken home second place at this meet, as well as the third time in as many years that the Illini have been defeated by Big Ten rival Minnesota. The Orange and Blue have experienced much success at this meet, and for the past seven years, they have placed in the top-two and received an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. "Our goal for this meet was to be one of the top-two teams, and we achieved this goal so we are proud of that," women's cross country coach Jeremy Rasmussen said. "Angela (Bizzarri) and Kristin (Sutherland) ran very solid races today and Jamie (Brusa) also had a great race and a personal best. We are happy for the most part, and we are now looking ahead to Nationals. "Angela remained consistent today as she has been this whole year. She had a great race, and it was nice to see her win after she has come in second-place at this meet for the past three years." Bizzarri's win marks only the second time an Illini runner has taken the top spot at this meet, with Cassie Hunt's victory in 2004 being the only other time an Illini has accomplished this feat. The senior is the first Illini to ever place in the top 10 at the NCAA Regional Championships all four years. This victory is Bizzarri's second individual win of the year, including her victory at the Pre-National Invitational, and the third individual win of her career. Sophomore Kristin Sutherland continued to build on her successful season by finishing in fourth place with a 6K time of 20:44.1. This is the second time Sutherland has garnered All-Region honors, after placing 17th at last year's meet as a freshman. Senior Elizabeth Boyle (12th, 21:12.5) and junior Chantelle Groenewoud (23rd, 21:34.2) also received All-Region honors for the second straight year for their impressive performances at the meet. Jamie Brusa also scored for the Illini, coming in 51st place with a time of 22:07.4, which was a 6K personal-best for the junior. "For Nationals, we need to focus on racing together which is something we haven't really done yet this year," Rasmussen said. "This week in practice we will work on helping each other out during the race and running together. If we do that, then we should be in good shape for Nationals." The Illini will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA National Championships on Monday, Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. CT.

Mead defends MIdwest Regional Championship

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Junior Hassan Mead cruised to his second consecutive NCAA Midwest Region Championships title on Saturday in Springfield, Mo., crossing the finish line 28 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. Minnesota finished fourth as a team and will have to wait until Monday to see if the Golden Gophers' season of work warrants an at-large berth in the NCAA Championships. Mead is the first back-to-back regional champion in Gopher history (Andrew Carlson won in 2002 and again in 2004). The Minneapolis native covered the 10-kilometer Missouri State University course in a time of 30 minutes, 21.9 seconds. Mead and Iowa State's Guor Marial took the lead early and quickly distanced themselves from the pack. Mead made a second push around the 4-kilometer mark and soon found himself alone at the front. The Gophers' standout had built such a big lead that he was able to even ease up a bit in the final kilometer, important since the national championship race is just nine days away. Southern Illinois senior Jeff Schirmer was second in 30:49.9. ""Hassan really was the class of the field out there today,"" said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. ""We went in with a plan today and Hassan executed it perfectly."" Senior Matt Barrett picked up his second career all-region honor by placing 15th overall, second for the Gophers, in a time of 31:05.0. Oklahoma State, ranked third in the nation, captured the Midwest Region title with a team score of 50 points and collected one of the region's automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. Oklahoma earned the second automatic bid by placing second with 71 points. Iowa State finished third with 104 points ahead of the Gophers' tally of 125. The Gophers were unable to close the gap between their top two finishers (Mead and Barrett) and the remainder of their scoring runners. Ben Blankenship finished 28th in a time of 31:48.3, followed by Pieter Gagnon in 38th (32:02.8) and Mike McFarland in 51st (32:32.9). Other Gophers competing were Derek Storkel (66th, 33:01.7) and Paul Hilsen (117th, 34:27.7). Gagnon, Storkel and Hilsen ran their first NCAA 10-kilometer races of their collegiate careers. A distance of 8 kilometers is contested during the regular season. The regional and national meets are run at 10 kilometers. With 18 teams having punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships, another 13 at-large bids will be awarded to teams on Monday. Mead will compete at the Championships regardless of whether Minnesota advances as a team or not. The NCAA Championships is Monday, Nov. 23, in Terre Haute, Ind. ""We are certainly a bubble team,"" said Plasencia. ""All we can do is wait and hope.""

Ohio State advances to first NCAA championships

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:26:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – There's a first time for everything. Jordan Jennewine placed fifth-overall and five Buckeyes placed in the top 35 as the Ohio State women's cross country team clinched its first ever trip to the NCAA championships with a second-place finish at the Great Lakes regional finals Saturday. "I have never been more proud of a team that I have coached," Ohio State distance coach Chris Neal said after the race. "These girls worked hard all year knowing that it would pay off. Today, our team was at its best." Two weeks after taking 12th at the conference meet, Jennewine picked up where she left off, cruising to a 6k finishing time of 21:03.56, a 138-spot improvement from her 2008 regional finish. Sarah Foster, the Buckeyes' top runner at the regional meet a season ago, took 14th in a time of 21:31:36, a 14-spot improvement from 2008. Junior Ellen Birmingham completed a 62-spot improvement with her 22nd-place run of 21:41.70. Jennewine, Foster and Birmingham were selected to the all-Regional team for their efforts. A pair of Buckeye newcomers secured the runner-up spot for Ohio State. Senior Katie Williams, the 2009 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner for cross country, took 30th in 21:56.09, while freshman Victoria Brink finished 34th in 22:01.36 -- Williams finished 39th at the 2007 regional meet as a student-athlete at Michigan. Ashley Chirco (22:33.59) and Sarah Lowe (23:02.85) "Jordan led the way for us, but we got solid efforts from all of the girls,"" Neal said. ""Tori [Brink] especially gave us the strong fifth runner we have been looking for. "All week we talked about how hard it was to be the first at anything, but if you are the first that is something that cannot be taken from you," Neal continued. "This team is now the first women's cross country team to qualify for a national championship wearing an OSU singlet – I am proud to be their coach!" The Buckeyes will compete at the NCAA championships Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind.

See wins Great Lakes Regional Championships

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:14:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Jeff See ran a first-place time of 31:03.16 to lead the Ohio State men's cross country team to a third-place finish at the 2009 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships Saturday. With the win, the Scarlet and Gray clinched an automatic berth in the NCAA championships Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind., their first trip to the national championships since 2007. See's victory was the first for a Buckeye runner at the 10k regional championship since 2005, when current Ohio State assistant Brian Olinger won the event in a time of 30:51. See used a 5:01 pace to edge a pair of Wisconsin runners for the title. "Jeff obviously led the way for us today and is finishing up his cross country career at OSU in a fantastic way," head coach Robert Gary said after the race. "He has been strong for us all year and just seems to be getting better as the season goes on." Taylor Williams enjoyed a successful second trip to the regional finals. The sophomore from Cincinnati took 13th in 31:25.94, a 12-spot improvement from 2008, when he led Ohio State to an eighth-place team finish. Fellow sophomore Adam Green was next up for the Buckeyes, finishing 28th in 31:53.70. A freshman and senior locked up the Buckeyes' third-place finish – Julian Meyer placed 44th in 32:19.57, while Christopher Olinger took 58th with a time of 32:38.73. Rounding out the Ohio State contingent were freshmen Cory Leslie (79th, 33:03.99) and Donny Roys (149, 34:42.73). "We got a great run from Taylor at No. 2 and Julian rebounded well to place in our top four," Gary said. "Adam ran strong as well. Overall, we had a good day." No. 10 Wisconsin won its eighth-consecutive regional championship with a dominating team performance, placing five runners within the top 25. The Badgers 62 points easily outdistanced second-place Michigan State at 128 – Ohio State's 144 points were just enough to hold off fourth-place Indiana State (151). Rounding out the Top 5 was No. 26 Butler with 160 points.

Nothing new: UW men claim 11th straight crown

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:29:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. -- Winning never gets old. For the 11th-consecutive season, the Wisconsin men's cross country took its rightful place atop the podium as Big Ten Champions. The Badgers extended their own conference record for consecutive championships in dominating fashion, placing five of their runners among the top eight finishers. Wisconsin has now won 43 Big Ten team titles, an incredible 31 more than Michigan State, which owns the next-most championships with 14. The Badgers' recent domination of the Big Ten has resulted 28 team championships in that last 33 years. FINAL RESULTS 1. Wisconsin, 26 2. Ohio State, 91 3. Minnesota, 97 4. Indiana, 106 5. Michigan, 117 6. Iowa, 149 7. Illinois, 166 8. Michigan State, 188 9. Penn State, 232 10. Purdue, 279 The UW posted a team score of 26, the lowest score since 2005 when the Badgers won the title with only 16 points. Ohio State finished in a distant second place with a team score of 91. They were followed by Minnesota with 97 points and Indiana with 106 points. "There was a lot of pressure on our guys going into the Big Tens," head coach Mick Byrne said Sunday morning from University Park, Pa. "But they responded well and won the conference meet. We're really proud." Sophomore Elliot Krause was the first to cross the finish line for the UW, finishing in second place in a time of 25:05, earning first team All-Big Ten honors in the process. This race marks the first time that Krause was the top finisher for the Badgers. Last season it was teammate Landon Peacock who took the runner-up spot at the Big Ten Championship race. For the second-straight year, Minnesota's Hassan Mead took the individual title. Redshirt freshman Maverick Darling was the next Badger runner to cross the line Sunday, claiming a fourth-place finish in a time of 25:16, also earning first team All-Big Ten Honors. Darling has now finished among the top seven in all three races he has run in the 2009 season. True freshman Mohammed Ahmed finished in fifth place in a time of 25:21, earning first team All-Big Ten honors. Ahmed was the first freshman to cross the finish line, adding Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors to his resume. Ahmed is the seventh Big Ten Freshman of the Year in UW history and the first since Brandon Bethke claimed the award in 2006. Wisconsin senior Craig Miller finished in 7th place with a time of 25:29, earning his first career first-team All-Big Ten honor. That gave UW four runners on the Big Ten's first team, the most since placing four on the first team in 2006. Last year, Miller finished in 14th place in a time of 25:01 and earned a second-team All-Big Ten bid. A 2008 first-team all-Big Ten selection, Peacock rounded out the scoring for Wisconsin, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors with his eighth-place finish in a time of 25:34. Senior Ryan Gasper finished in 12th place in a time of 25:41, earning his first second-team All-Big Ten bid. At the 2008 Big Ten Championships, Gasper just missed the podium by finishing in 16th place in a time of 25:06. Junior Jack Bolas finished in 16th place in a time of 25:50, true freshman Reed Connor finished in 32nd place in a time of 26.16 and sophomore Phil Thomas finished in 33rd place in a time of 26:18. "The guys were packed real well," explained Byrne. "It was a great team race. The guys fed off each other and it led to a great race." The Badgers will now enjoy a weekend off before competing in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship hosted by Indiana on Nov. 14. The 8k race is set to start at 11 a.m. (central). "This is the time of year we train for and love," Byrne added. "We're looking forward to Regionals and the NCAA championships."

Mead, Franek headline Big Ten XC honors

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 15:36:00 +0000

PARK RIDGE, Ill. – Minnesota junior Hassan Mead and Penn State senior Bridget Franek have been named men's and women's Big Ten Cross Country Athletes of the Year, conference officials announced today. Wisconsin's Maverick Darling and Penn State's Nicole Lord earned the nod as Freshmen of the Year; while Badger coach Byrne and Beth Alford-Sullivan of Penn State take home Coach of the Year honors. Mead garners his third postseason award in as many years after earning Freshman of the Year laurels in 2007 and his first Athlete of the Year laurel last season. The reigning Big Ten individual champion collected his second conference crown at this year's event, completing the 5.2 mile course a full five seconds ahead of the field with a winning time of 25:00.2, as the Gophers took home third-place team hardware. The Minneapolis native becomes the first Gopher to repeat as Big Ten Athlete of the Year in program history and only the second to be recognized with the award. Franek paced Penn State to its first Big Ten team title last weekend on the strength of a first-place finish. The Nittany Lion senior turned in the second fastest six-kilometer time ever recorded by an individual titlist in the history of the event, breaking the tape at 20:03 to capture the individual crown. The Hiram, Ohio, native becomes just the second Big Ten Athlete of the Year in Penn State cross country lore, and the first since current Michigan State assistant coach Kim McGreevy accomplished the feat in 1996. Wisconsin's Maverick Darling raced his way to a top-five finish in his inaugural conference championship to propel the perennial power to its 11th-consecutive team title. His 5.2 mile-time of 25:16.4 was second-best for Wisconsin as the Badgers placed five of their runners among the top eight finishers. With the selection, Wisconsin picks up its third Freshman of the Year laurel in the last five seasons, and its seventh overall. Running second for the Penn State contingent was newcomer Nicole Lord, who finished ninth overall in 20:52 to best all freshman competitors in the field. For her efforts, Lord earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades at the conclusion of Sunday's event. She becomes only the second Nittany Lion to garner Freshman of the Year laurels and the first to return the award to State College in nearly two decades (Colleen Glyde, 1992). Wisconsin collects its ninth-straight Big Ten Coach of the Year accolade as Byrne achieves his second conference team title after replacing eight-time Coach of the Year winner Jerry Schumacher last season. The Badgers extended their own conference record for consecutive championships, racking up 26 team points in Sunday's victory to improve Wisconsin's overall tally to 43 Big Ten titles. The Badgers currently sit at No. 10 in the latest USTFCCCA poll to lead all Big Ten squads. Penn State completes its first-ever sweep of the yearly Big Ten postseason accolades as 2009 Coach of the Year Beth Alford-Sullivan becomes the first Nittany Lion head general to earn the award in program history. The Nittany Lions captured their first team championship since its inception in 1981 in front of a home crowd at their own Blue and White Golf Courses over the weekend. Penn State currently leads all conference squads in the national polls, rating No. 11 in the nation, as they prepare for regional action. The conference office also announced today honorees from each of the 21 cross country squads for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. Honorees for men's and women's cross country are Illinois' Colin Mickow and Chantelle Groenewoud; Indiana's Zach Mayhew and Sarah Pease; Iowa's Brendan Camplin and Brooke Eilers; Michigan's Brendon Blacklaws and Rachel Severin; Michigan State's Pat Grosskopf and Rebekah Smeltzer; Minnesota's Matt Barrett and Heather Dorniden; Northwestern's Paulina Garcia; Ohio State's Taylor Candella and Katie Williams; Penn State's Vince McNally and Claire Berryman; Purdue's Caden Shields and Kristen Phillips and Wisconsin's Elliot Krause and Megan Beers. These 21 student-athletes are now candidates for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the academic year. First-team and second-team All-Big Ten honors were awarded at the Championships to the first seven and second seven finishers, respectively, for both men and women. Men's Athlete of the Year: Hassan Mead, Minnesota Women's Athlete of the Year: Bridget Franek, Penn State Men's Freshman of the Year: Maverick Darling, Wisconsin Women's Freshman of the Year: Nicole Lord, Penn State Men's Coach of the Year: Mick Byrne, Wisconsin Women's Coach of the Year: Beth Alford-Sullivan, Penn State Men's Sportsmanship Honorees Colin Mickow, Illinois Zach Mayhew, Indiana Brendan Camplin, Iowa Brendon Blacklaws, Michigan Pat Grosskopf, Michigan State Matt Barrett, Minnesota Taylor Candella, Ohio State Vince McNally, Penn State Elliot Krause, Wisconsin Caden Shields, Purdue Women's Sportsmanship Honorees Chantelle Groenewoud, Illinois Sarah Pease, Indiana Brooke Eilers, Iowa Rachel Severin, Michigan Rebekah Smeltzer, Michigan State Heather Dorniden, Minnesota Paulina Garcia, Northwestern Katie Williams, Ohio State Claire Berryman, Penn State Kristen Phillips, Purdue Megan Beers, Wisconsin

Penn State wins first Big Ten Championship

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 17:46:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: – Propelled by an individual victory from senior Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) the No. 18 Nittany Lion women's cross country team captured the program's first-ever Big Ten Cross Country Championship, Sunday at the Blue/White Golf Course. "Today was amazing," said Director and Head Coach of Track and Field/Cross Country Beth Alford-Sullivan. "You couldn't have scripted it any better. We came into this thinking that we had a shot at a championship but so did Minnesota and so did Illinois. We just knew that we had to execute at 100-percent." In a two-woman battle with NCAA 5,000-meter champion Angela Bizzari of Illinois for much of the race, Franek took full advantage of the challenging hills on the latter half of her home course, pulling away from her Illini foe and speeding down the home stretch to win her first career conference cross country title. Franek's winning time of 20:03 over the 6,000-meter race is the second-fastest time ever run on the Blue/White Golf Course. FINAL RESULTS 1. Penn State, 71 2. Illinois, 77 3. Minnesota, 80 4. Michigan, 122 5. Michigan State, 137 6. Iowa, 150 7. Indiana, 161 8. Ohio State, 164 9. Purdue, 204 10. Wisconsin, 254 11. Northwestern, 326 "It was awesome," said Franek. "It's truly amazing to be on the team that won, and win the individual race. I think it's a testament to being on our home course and knowing it really well, and feeling comfortable at home. I think that helped a lot." The standout senior, who also finishes with All-Big Ten First Team honors, is the second Nittany Lion to win the Big Ten individual crown along with Kim McGreevy – the 1996 Big Ten Champion and current assistant cross country coach at Michigan State. "Going into the race, I really tried to not focus so much on results but on just taking advantage of the competition and seeing what I could do against it,"" said Franek of her race plan. "I just tried to prepare myself for the race to the best of my ability, and hoped that that was enough to pull off the win." "Bridget was absolutely flawless today," continued Sullivan. "She set the tone for this championship drive, and everyone came out and the fought and it really did come down to a homestretch kick." Running second for the Nittany Lions was freshman Nicole Lord (Media, Pa.), who finished ninth overall in 20:52. Lord's impressive effort, which was the highest finish among rookies in the entire field, was good for second team All-Big Ten accolades. Classmate Brooklyne Ridder (Cincinnati, Ohio) was the next Lion finisher and the third freshman in the field, scoring a 16th-place effort in 21:16. "This group of freshmen and sophomores have been the spark that its taken for this team to really unite," said Sullivan of her contingent of underclassmen. "They really have a selfless confidence, and they're just a group of kids that love what they're doing, and they're committed to what they're doing." Closing hard down the homestretch as the Lions' fourth and fifth was sophomore duo Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) and Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.), who would wind up 22nd and 23rd, respectively. Lane would stop the clock at 21:24, while Millhouse finished right on her heels in 21:27. Freshman Natalie Bower (Pleasant Unity, Pa.) and senior Claire Berryman (Morgantown, W.Va.) rounded out the Nittany Lion top seven, turning in 39th and 41st-place finishes, running 21:48, and 21:50, respectively. The Nittany Lions totaled 71 points, edging out Illinois and Minnesota in the tightly contested top three. Illinois would take runner up honors with 77 points, while Minnesota would place third with 80. Michigan scored 122 for fourth, with Michigan State rounding out the top five with 137. Next up for the Nittany Lions is the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships on Nov. 14, at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, in Princess Anne, Md. The top two teams at the race will automatically advance to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23, along with the top four individuals.

Minnesota's Mead defends Big Ten crown

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Minnesota junior Hassan Mead captured the individual title at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships leading the Golden Gophers to a third-place finish in the team standings. Mead covered the 5.2-mile course at the Penn State Cross Country Course in a time of 25 minutes, 0.2 seconds. He is the third Gopher to win two or more Big Ten cross country crowns, joining Fred Watson (1913-15) and Garry Bjorklund (1969-71). Mead is the 19th Big Ten multiple champion and first since Wisconsin's Simon Bairu won back-to-back crowns in 2004-04. Mead, who crossed the finish line 5.7 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, also collected his third All-Big Ten First Team honor of his career. Senior Matt Barrett contributed a ninth-place finish to earn All-Big Ten Second Team accord. Barrett was timed in 25:35.2. The Gophers compiled 97 team points to finish third behind Wisconsin (26) and Ohio State (91). The Badgers won their 11th straight Big Ten title. Completing the scoring for the Gophers was Ben Blankenship, who finished 18th (25:53.4); Pieter Gagnon, who placed 27th in 26:09.4; and Derek Storkel, who finished 42nd in 26:41.9. Other Gophers running were Paul Hilsen, who finished 55th in 27:06.2; and Mike McFarland, who placed 66th in 27:42.9. Minnesota next competition is the NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Nov. 14 in Springfield, Mo.

Fall championships to air on Big Ten Network

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:25:00 +0000

Fall championships to air on Big Ten Network

Big Ten runners ready for conference meet

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:53:00 +0000

Big Ten Men's Preview In the 95th running of the Big Ten Men's Cross Country Championships, No. 15 Wisconsin looks to continue its dominance in the event after collecting its conference record 10th-consecutive team title in 2008. The Badgers will have their shot at number 11 on Sunday, Nov. 1 in University Park, Pa., where all 10 conference squads will meet on the Penn State University White Golf Course to compete in the 5.2 mile race, slated to begin at 10:45 a.m. ET. Under the direction of 2008 head coach of the year Mick Byrne, Wisconsin boasts a roster featuring 12 freshman and just eight returning letterwinners this season. Sophomore Landon Peacock will look to improve on his runner-up status from last year after earning Freshman of the Year laurels in 2007. He is joined by first-team All-Big Ten selections Jack Bolas and second-team All-Big Ten honoree Craig Miller. Michigan looks to end the Badgers winning streak with multiple talented runners of its own. Senior Sean McNamara returns as the only Wolverine in the top 10 at the 2008 event, placing sixth. However, senior Peter Christmas is also poised for a breakout performance in step with his three top-five finishes this year, including his first-ever collegiate win at the Michigan Intercollegiate. The Wolverines will be in the hunt for their 10th conference championship, owning nine titles dating back to 1922. Minnesota enters Sunday's contest with an eye on the team title, powered by reigning Cross Country Athlete of the Year Hassan Mead, who returns to the scene after taking top individual honors in 2008. He is joined by a trio of seasoned veterans in Matt Barrett, Ben Blankenship and Mike Torchia, who all posted top-30 finishes last season. The No. 18-ranked Indiana Hoosiers will look to improve on their fifth-place showing from last year's championship. The young Hoosier squad will turn to sophomore Andrew Poore for leadership from as he was Indiana's top returning finisher in last year's meet, placing 17th to narrowly miss all-conference distinction. Poore will turn to fellow 2008 Cross Country Runners of the Week in Hoosier freshmen Andy Bayer and Zachary Mayhew to help carry the Indiana load. Host Penn State will rely on 2008 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten honoree Kyle Dawson, to better the Nittany Lions' fourth-place finish from last year. Dawson will be joined by a talented group of returners, including fellow sophomore Vince McNally, as the Nittany Lions challenge for another finish in the top tier of the Big Ten standings. Big Ten Women's Preview All 11 conference schools, including six of the top 30 of the latest USTFCCCA national rankings, will invade University Park, Pa., this Sunday, Nov. 1 for the 29th running of the Big Ten Women's Cross Country Championships. The 6,000-meter race will be held on the Penn State University Blue Golf Course with an approximate start time of 11:45 a.m. ET. The No. 15-ranked Minnesota women's cross country team will enter Sunday's championship in the hunt for its third-consecutive Big Ten title. The Gophers edged Wisconsin by a narrow four points at last year's event to capture only their second team crown in program history. Sitting ahead of the defending champion in the national rankings is Illinois, checking in at No. 13. The two Big Ten frontrunners are followed closely by No. 18 Penn State, with No. 22 Michigan, No. 23 Iowa and No. 27 Michigan State rounding out the conference contingent among the nation's top 30. Minnesota will look to uphold its reputation for winning with depth as reigning Coach of the Year Gary Wilson returns five members from the 2008 squad, all seasoned seniors primed to lead the charge at this year's event. The Maroon and Gold insurgence is headlined by 2008 All-Big Ten first team selection Megan Duwell, who enters Sunday's championship as the top returning finisher from 2008. She will be joined by three veteran teammates in Jamie Cheever, Amy Laskowske and Mallory Vann Ness as Minnesota returns four of its five top-20 finishers from a year ago. The Illini will look to senior Angela Bizzarri for leadership as the three-time All-Big Ten first team honoree will be competing for her fourth top-10 finish in as many conference championship appearances. Sophomore Kristin Sutherland will also provide depth for the Orange and Blue after placing inside the top 20 in 2008. Host Penn State will look to turn some heads at this year's event and improve from last year's seventh-place team finish. Senior Bridget Franek will lace up for the last time on her home course where she will look to garner her third-straight top-10 finish, having posted ninth- and sixth- place showings in her past two conference championship events. Franek will be joined by junior Leah Rosenfeld and sophomore Caitlin Lane, who opened the 2009 campaign with a Big Ten Cross Country Runner of the Week laurel. Also looking to return to the awards podium are Indiana's Wendi Robinson and Wisconsin's Hanna Grinaker and Caitlin Comfort.

Badgers take third in inaugural Wisconsin adidas Invitational

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 15:33:00 +0000

VERONA, Wis. -- The No. 4-ranked Wisconsin men's cross country team helped christen the new Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course with a third-place finish Saturday in the inaugural Wisconsin adidas Invitational. The Badgers scored 94 points in the 8-kilometer race. Unranked Syracuse claimed the team title with 41 points, followed by No. 10 Georgetown with 60 points. "I saw some real positive stuff out there today," UW head coach Mick Byrne said. "As a coach, you just have to look at the positives and take positives as you go into the rest of October. We've always said that we're a championship team. We still walked out with third and now we have to take it how it is and build off it." Redshirt freshman Maverick Darling was the first UW runner to cross the finish line, taking sixth place in a time of 24:02.8. This race marks that first time that Darling has been the top finisher for the UW. "I was surprised I finished in the top 10," Darling said. "I didn't know how things were going to work out competition wise. I was pretty happy with how the race felt. I felt really good through 6k, and then 6k kind of hit me a little bit, but it went well." Sophomore Elliot Krause was the next to cross the finish line for the Badgers, finishing in 13th place with a time of 24:13.6. Junior Landon Peacock finished soon after in a time 24:27.1 to claim 18th place. Junior Noel Bateman and sophomore Phil Thomas were the final two runners to score for the UW, taking 27th and 34th, respectively, in times of 24:41.1 and 24:47.7. Seniors Ryan Gasper and Craig Miller also ran for the Badgers. Gasper finished in a time of 24:50.8 to claim 36th place and was followed by Miller, who took 39th place in a time of 24:53.0. The Badgers also ran several freshmen as unattached competitors. Leading the charge was Reed Connor, who finished in 16th place in a time of 24:23.8. Also, Andrew Shields finished in 49th place in a time of 25:04.9, Michael Brice finished in 65th place in a time of 25:20.3. "We got what we wanted out of this race," Byrne said. "We've got a number of young kids that are ready to go, and I'm excited for what's to come." As for the course, despite the slight drizzle, the debut of the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course was widely considered to be a success. "Just look at it, this is fantastic," Byrne said. "It's a great day for Wisconsin and a great day for Wisconsin cross country. "I mean this is just fun. It's the way cross country should be." The UW will take a two week break from competition in preparation for the Jim Drews Invitational on Oct. 17, a meet hosted by UW-La Crosse. BADGER WOMEN TAKE NINTH IN INAUGURAL EVENT VERONA, Wis. -- The excitement of the inaugural Wisconsin adidas Invitational overpowered the gloomy forecast Saturday. Seven of the top 30 nationally-ranked teams were in attendance for the debut of the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. Wisconsin's Caitlin Comfort broke into the top 10 of the women's 5-kilometer race by placing ninth out of the 123 runners with a time of 17:27.9. As a whole, UW placed 11th overall in the team standings. Duke, ranked No. 29 nationally won the team race with 78 points. No. 21 Syracuse ended with 80 points for a close second-place finish. No. 10-ranked Illinois ended at third with BYU at fourth and No. 17 Michigan rounding out the top five. "It's always nice to come out and run well for the team," Comfort said. "It's important for everyone to run well and take advantage of our home course." "The team was really excited to get these amazing teams out here and welcome them to our new home course," she added. "When we were practicing yesterday, a few teams yelled out that they really liked the course … it was great to hear." Stepping up for the Badgers was freshman Kiah Ehrke, who finished second on the team and 67th overall in 18:19.9. She was followed by junior Karen Greuel who crossed the finish line 10 seconds later, earning 77th place. Senior Hanna Grinaker, competing unattached, finished 83rd overall in a time of 18:47.5. Karlye Wolff and Alexa Renstrom finished next for the Badgers, earning 96th and 103rd place, respectively. With three of their top runners not competing at their full potential, the Badgers are not yet at full strength. "Leah Coyle, Hanna Grinaker and Ashley Beutler are not ready to go and that's a killer for us right now," said head coach Jim Stintzi. "As far as the meet goes, it's pretty exciting. We were definitely excited about the opening of the course and the quality of the meet we can put on here." The Badgers have two weeks to regain their strength before heading to Terre Haute, Ind., on Oct. 17 for the Pre-NCAA Invitational.

Mead takes 5th at invite

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Golden Gopher All-American Hassan Mead placed fifth in the White Race at the Pre-NCAA Meet in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday. Minnesota placed 11th as a team. The meet is held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course, the same facility that plays host to the NCAA Championships in November. An 8-kilometer course was traversed in the Pre-NCAA Meet. The race distance will jump to 10 kilometers for the national meet. Mead clocked a time of 23 minutes, 49.2 seconds over a soft, somewhat muddy course. A year ago, Mead set the Minnesota 8-kilometer record at the Gibson Course with a time of 23:33.1. Ben Blankenship tallied a 24th-place showing as the Gophers' number-two runner. Blankenship crossed the finish line in 24:11.2. Matt Barrett was 60th in a time of 24:39.1, while Pieter Gagnon placed 90th in 25:00.8. Paul Hilsen was the final Gopher scorer, placing 162nd in 25:51.3. "We had a good, not great outing, today,"" said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. "Our top four ran solid but we just need to move our fifth guy up. That gap between 90 and 162 is too big. It's the different. We have another runner up there in the mix and we would have a much better finish as a team."" Other Gophers competing were Sean Olson, who placed 173rd in 25:59.6, and Travis Burkstrand, who finished 200th in 26:24.7. The Gophers compiled 341 points in the team standings. Stanford captured the team win in the White Race with 47 behind individual titlist Chris Derrick (23:27.1). Oregon won the Blue Race team title with 79 points.

Illini's Bizzarri win's pre-national invite

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:27:00 +0000

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Senior and seven-time All-American Angela Bizzarri ran the 6K race in a time of 20:27 to place first overall at the Pre-National Invitational. The meet marked the highest showing of the year thus far for Bizzarri, who won her first race since her collegiate debut at the Brissman-Lundeen Invite in 2006. The Mason, Ohio, native also improved by twenty-seconds over last year's time at this meet where she placed 13th. "Angela did a great job today," women's cross country coach Jeremy Rasmussen said. "She was real comfortable within the group during the first half of the race. The girl in front of her had the lead by about twenty seconds, but Angela did a great job of getting out of her comfort zone and starting to run a little bit harder. She eventually caught the girl down the home stretch and won. "It's good for her to be in a situation like this because it is important for her to learn different styles of racing. She understands that she can run just as fast as anyone out there." The No.18-ranked Illinois women's cross country team took fifth in a loaded field of 37 teams Saturday at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. The Illini had a team score of 206 to place in the top five, and faced nine ranked teams in the White Race. Following Bizzarri was sophomore Kristin Sutherland who also ran a very impressive race, coming in seventh place with a personal-best 6K time of 20:50. Senior Elizabeth Boyle (20) came in third for the Illini and had a personal-best 6K time of 21:10. Other scorers for the Orange and Blue were juniors Chantelle Groenwoud (21:36, 46), Jamie Brusa (132) with a personal-best 6K time of 22:28, and Ashley Thompson (145) with a personal-best 6K time of 22:36. The meet also marked the season debut of Theresa Brokaw (230), who ran the race in a time of 24:09. "The course was actually pretty wet and sloppy, so to be able to come out, run personal-bests, and finish well as a team is always great," Rasmussen said. "Overall as a group we did some really great things, but there are also some things we need to work on so that we can be where we want to be at the end of the year. "We can't rest on this meet. We have to remain focused on the meets coming up, especially Big Tens in two weeks." No. 1-ranked Washington had four runners finish in the top 15 and was the overall champion of the meet with 59 points. Next week, the Illini return home and will host the Illini Open at the UI Arboretum on October 23 at 4 p.m. CT. Illinois Results 1. Angela Bizzarri 20:27.8 7. Kristin Sutherland 20:50.3 20. Elizabeth Boyle 21:10.2 46. Chantelle Groenewoud 21:36.0 132. Jamie Brusa 22:28.0 145. Ashley Thompson 22:36.4 230. Theresa Brokaw 24:09.1 Open Race Results 27. Meghan Murphy 23:04.3 61. Stephanie Baliga 23:47.6 Team Results (Top Five) 1. Washington (59) 2. Florida (89) 3. Princeton (126) 4. Syracuse (191) 5. Illinois (206)

Iowa men take 2nd at adidas Invitational

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 17:08:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Iowa cross country squads competed at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational Saturday, hosted by the University of Wisconsin. The men's squad placed fifth overall in the 8,000-meter race with 176 points and were led by freshman Jeff Thode, who placed second overall with a collegiate-best mark of 23:55 that ranks seventh all-time at Iowa. In the women's 5,000-meter race, Iowa placed sixth with 157 points with sophomore Brooke Eilers leading the Hawkeyes with a tenth-place finish of 17:31. Along with Thode, senior Jesse Luciano had a strong individual performance, finishing 14th with a season-best finish of 24:17. The rest of Iowa's top seven, who all earned season-best times, were junior Mark Battista (45th, 25:07), senior Tommy Tate (53rd, 25:20), sophomores James Paul (62nd, 25:28) and Chase Kadlec (64th, 25:30), and senior Jay Renaud (74th, 26:02). "It was our best team performance of the year," said Men's Head Coach Larry Wieczorek. "We finished just a few points behind Arkansas and finished with some tough teams. In addition to our good team effort, I was impressed by some strong individual performances, especially Thode and Luciano." Along with Eilers, the women's top seven finishers were graduate student Megan Lessard (28th, 17:49), sophomore Betsy Flood (36th, 17:53), juniors Lauren Hardesty (41st, 17:56) and Amanda Hardesty (42nd, 17:59), sophomore McKenzie Melander (48th, 18:08), and senior Fionna Fallon (53rd, 18:14). "Overall I thought it was a solid outing," said Women's Head Coach Layne Anderson. "There were some good things that I think we can build on. I was very pleased in their efforts. It would have been nice to place a little higher as a team, but I'm confident moving forward. So tomorrow, it's back to work preparing for the next few weeks." Both teams will be preparing for the Pre-NCAA Invite on October 17 held at Indiana State University at Terre Haute, Ind.

Illinois men finish thrid at adidas Invitational

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 17:11:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.-- The No. 10-ranked Illinois women's cross country team finished third at the Wisconsin Inter-Regional on Saturday, with a team score of 95 points. The loaded field included six ranked squads amoung the 12 teams competing. Finishing first for the Orange and Blue and second overall was senior standout Angela Bizzarri, who ran the 5K race with a time of 17:04. "We ran well today and had a lot of personal bests out there," women's cross country coach Jeremy Rasmussen said. "The course was a lot of a lot tougher than I originally thought, so to have a lot of the girls get personal bests is definitely positive and encouraging. I think this race helps our confidence going into Pre-Nationals, because we know we are able to go out there and run well. It also helps us to have a big race under our belt. Going into Pre-Nationals, we are definitely excited. We still have to get a few girls back and put a few more pieces of the puzzle together. We are good right now, but we have the opportunity to be really good." The race also marked the season debut of sophomore Kristin Sutherland. Sutherland ran a personal-best 5K time of 17:22 and also placed second for the Illini and sixth overall. Following Sutherland was senior Elizabeth Boyle (11), junior Chantelle Groenewoud (24), and junior Ashley Thompson (52). Both Boyle and Thompson set personal-best 5K times at the meet. "Kristin went out and ran really well. She got to the front of the pack right away and never backed off," Rasmussen said. "She is continuing to work on some things and develop her strength, but she had a great race today. For Angela to come out in the beginning stages of her training and run the way she did shows a lot about the kind of contributor she is to the team." No. 29-ranked Duke placed first overall with a combined team score of 78 points. Junior Cecily Lemmon of Brigham Young was the individual champion of the event, running the race with a time of 17:01, just three seconds better than Bizzarri. The Illini have a weekend off before splitting up and competing at the Bradley Classic in Peoria, Ill., on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4:15 p.m. CT and the Pre-Nationals Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday, Oct. 17. at 11:00 a.m. CT. ILLINI WOMEN CLAIM SIXTH PLACE MADISON, Wis. – The Illinois men's cross country team placed sixth this Saturday at the Wisconsin Inter-Regional. Finishing with a team total of 192 points, five Illini finished the 8K with personal bests that will help propel the team into their regular season of competition. The field of 13 consisted of four nationally ranked squads, including no. 4 Wisconsin, no. 10 Georgetown and no. 17 Arkansas. The Orange and Blue beat out no. 23 Michigan by 42 points. "We ran a solid race," cross country coach Wendel McRaven said. "We could have done a better job of running together and finding each other on the course, but these are all things that we have time to work on in the next couple of weeks." Colin Mickow finished first for the Orange and Blue with a personal best 8K time of 24:39. He was followed by fellow sophomores Jim Riddle (24:55), Nathan Troester (24:57), Dan Kremske (25:07) and Chris DeSilva (25:07) who also ran personal best 8Ks. "I have no doubts that we have the strength," Coach McRaven said. "These races go out really fast and we need to do a better job of getting engaged a little bit earlier and feel more comfortable in such a competitive field. We took some positive steps today and we are headed in the right direction." Placing first overall was Andrew Bumbalough, a senior from Georgetown, with a time of 23:54. Syracuse took the team title with a total of 41 points and three finishers in the top-10. Illinois will have next weekend off before they split up and head to the Bradley Classic on Oct. 16 and the Pre-Nationals meet on Oct. 17.

IU runners take team crown

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 15:02:00 +0000

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Indiana men's cross country team took the team crown at the Paul Short Run, outrunning two ranked teams in the process. Redshirt freshman Andy Bayer set the pace for the Hoosiers, finishing in third place. He was one of four Hoosiers to place in the top ten, and the fifth IU runner to cross the line, Andy Weatherford took 21st and was only 27 seconds off the winner. The Hoosiers finished with 44 points, No. 7 Iona finished second with 55 points and No. 19 North Carolina State was third with 87 points. Bayer was third in 23:42 and he was followed in by Andrew Poore in sixth (23:46), Zach Mayhew in seventh (23:49), and Cole Hardacre in eighth (23:50). Weatherford finished in 24:07. Bayer's time was just two seconds out of first place, and it ties him for fifth all-time on the Goodman Campus Course at Lehigh. The women's team took third, paced by Wendi Robinson, who finished fourth in 20:04. She was one of three Hoosiers to finish in the top twenty. Junior Sarah Pease was 12th in 20:30 and sophomore Chelsea Blanchard took 19th in 20:51. Robinson's time ties her for the tenth fastest in the course's history. Robinson, Pease and Blanchard were followed in by freshman Samantha Ginther in 52nd (21:33) and Jenny Kulow in 56th (21:36). Indiana returns to action when they host the Sam Bell Invitational on Oct. 17th. For all things IU cross country, stay tuned to IUHoosiers.com.

Purdue opens XC season

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 19:01:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's and women's cross country teams opened their respective seasons on Friday, hosting the annual Great American Legends race at the Purdue Varsity Cross Country Course. Purdue senior Kristin Phillips and junior Caden Shields were the Boilermakers' top women's and men's finishers, respectively. "This is a good start for us," said Purdue head coach Jack Warner. "Several of our athletes posted good times and we competed well as a team." On the women's side, Butler's Katie Clark turned in the top performance of the 5K race, crossing the finish line in 18:03.27. However, the Boilermakers accounted for seven of the next eight finishers as Phillips turned in a time of 18:35.08, while freshman Camille Buscomb followed in 18:46.55. Sophomore Stephanie Bonk, senior Sarah Klaczynski, second-years Katie Conrad and Kara Conflenti, and rookie Kelly McCurdy crossed the line in succession, all within 42 seconds of each other. Bonk was the first of the pack, posting a time of 19:02.06, more than 12 seconds faster than her 5K performance at the same meet a year ago. Klaczynski made a huge improvement from the 2008 Great American Legends race, axing nearly 20 seconds from her time down to 19:17.13. Shields was the second overall finisher in the men's 8K race, coming in behind Butler's Andy Baker, who completed the course in 25:16.50. Shields' time of 25:28.60 was his best 8K performance wearing the Old Gold and Black, improving upon his only 8K effort in 2008. Sophomore Cale Allen was the next Boilermaker across the line, posting a time of 26:09.58 to hack almost 30 seconds off his 2008 season-opening performance, while rookie Corey Scott announced his presence as the third Purdue finisher in a time of 26:42.08. Freshmen Robert Stewart, Stephen Schulz and Steven Stoot were the next three to cross the line, finishing within three and a half second of each other near the 27:20.00-mark. "We'll continue to build off of this race," said Warner. "The teams were both training hard going into this race and will continue to bunch together in packs toward the front of races." Purdue is scheduled to continue its season next Saturday in Bloomington, Ind., at the Indiana University Invitational.

Mead captures medalist honors at Roy Griak

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:19:00 +0000

Golden Gopher All-American Hassan Mead set Minnesota history on Saturday (Sept. 26), becoming the first Minnesota men's cross country runner to capture medalist honors at the Roy Griak Invitational. Mead, running his first meet of the 2009 season, covered the 8-kilometer course in a time of 24 minutes, 37.5 seconds. Despite placing three runners in the top six, Minnesota finished fourth in the team standings with 101 points. Ben Blankenship posted an impressive fourth-place finish running a time of 24:56.9, while Matt Barrett tallied a sixth-place showing in 25:01.0. Mead pushed the pace of the race early on then ran comfortably from the front and extending his lead. The defending Big Ten champion, Mead won the Griak crown by over 12 seconds over runner-up Iowa State's Guor Majak. "Coach (Plasencia) and I have been working on me getting out faster in the first K (kilometer) of a race," said Mead. "I felt in control out there today. I was a little surprised no one went with me early on." Iowa State scored three runners in the top 10 to collect 71 points and edge Oklahoma (74) for the team title. Duke was third with 94 points. The title is the Cycolones' fourth Griak crown and first since 1993. The final two scorers for the Gophers were redshirt freshman in Pieter Gagnon, who placed 32nd in 25:32.8, and Kevin Lachowitzer, who finished 59th in 26:06.5. Iowa State swept both the men's and women's Gold Race titles at the Griak, which celebrated its 24th year. Other men's/women's team sweeps were Providence in 1998 and Wisconsin in 1997. Minnesota swept both the individual titles as Megan Duwell won the Jack Johnson Women's Gold Race to join Mead as Griak medalists. It is the second time in Griak history that both the men's and women's champions were from the same school (Sara Dupre/Ben Noad – Providence, 1997).

IU XC runners make strong showing

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:40:00 +0000

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The IU cross country program had an excellent day at Indiana Intercollegiate on Friday. Not only did the Hoosiers take team titles on the men's and women's sides, but they did it convincingly. The men's team, paced by redshirt sophomore Andrew Poore, bested the field of 20 teams and was 35 points better than the second-place squad. The women were paced by senior Wendi Robinson, who took second, and the team finished five points ahead of rival Purdue. The men finished with 20 points and the women with 47. Poore was the first Hoosier to cross the line, but the rest of the Hoosier top five wasn't far behind at all, as they finished 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th and were all within 15 seconds of first place. Poore finished in 24:46, just one second behind race winner Rob Mullett of Butler. Redshirt freshman Andy Bayer was third in 24:52, junior Cole Hardacre was fourth in 24:53, redshirt freshman Zach Mayhew was fifth in 24:58 and redshirt sophomore Andrew Weatherford was sixth in 25:00. The Hoosiers scored 13 fewer points than in 2008, and the next closest team on the day was Indiana State with 55 points. The men weren't the only IU runners in the top ten, as three Hoosier women were as well. Robinson was second in 17:32, just four seconds out of first, junior Sarah Pease took fourth in 17:41 and sophomore Chelsea Blanchard was sixth in 18:01. Rounding out the top five for IU were freshman Samantha Ginther in 17th and Molly Beckwith in 18th, both finishing in 18:57. The Hoosiers 47 point effort is ten points better than their score in 2008. Also competing for IU on the day were senior Jenny Kulow who took 20th with a time of 19:04 and Natalie Goolik who finished 26th overall (19:07). On the men's side, Danny Stockberger took 41st (26:59) and Jacob Rich was 49th (27:13). The Hoosiers return to action on October 2 at the Paul Short Invitational at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things IU cross country, stay tuned to IUHoosiers.com.