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Women's
X-country places third Staff Writer
The
women s cross country team finished third in the MIAA on Oct. 26, at
Missouri Southern. The
team earned 74 points, trailing Pittsburg State by 17 points and Central
Missouri State University by nine points. The overall average time was
22:58, with Jen Noelken leading the Lady Lions with a time of 22:24 and
finishing fourth, giving her All-Conference honors. Ashley Caffey also
received All-Conference honors with a time of 22:44, placing 10th in the
MIAA. Other
significant finishes include Erin Click, 23:09; Michelle Brenner, 23:15;
Rachel Patterson, 23:17; Johanna Kanala, 23:18; Emily Cassin, 23:41; and
Jessica Deatrick, 25:05. The
team improved its pack time to 53 seconds, reaching its goal of having a
one-minute or less time between its No. 1 runner and No. 5 runners. The
No. 6 runners were also crucial to the outcome. "This
was our best team effort of the season," said Patty Vavra, head
coach. "What
made a huge difference was how our No. 3 through 6 runners really pushed
each other to the finish." The
home advantage proved to be a major factor for the team's success.
Knowing the course with its turns and corners along with the fan support
helped the team to pull things together. "We
knew the course extremely well, and we knew where we needed to kick it
in," Noelken said. Competing
in the MIAA Conference Championship helped the team have an idea of how
well it can do in the regional meet. The Lady Lions were able to beat a
conference rival, Truman State University, which they have been unable
to do at previous meets this season. The women's team also trailed the
No. 2 regionally ranked CMSU, giving the team an opportunity to possibly
advance to the national meet in Ohio. The
team plans on training hard for the next few days in hopes of performing
well at the South Central Regional Meet on Saturday in Warrensburg.
Although the team is unsure of how far it will advance, two or three
runners possibly may travel to Ohio for the National Meet. "Cross
country is a team concept with individual rewards," Vavra said.
"It's not impossible for us to advance, but we may have one or two
go to nationals." |