Cross country teams fare well at Hanover College Invitational

MADISON, Ind. – Four women finished in the top half of the field while Matt Bailey (East Petersburg, Pa./Hempfield) finished 18th in a field of 156 as the Juniata College men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at Hanover College’s Madison Kiwanis Cross Country Invitational, held Saturday in Madison, Ind.

Running over the same course that will be used in the 2008 NCAA Division III National Championships this November, Bailey completed the 8 km course in 26:53.57. Sam Williams (Roaring Springs, Pa./Central) was the next best Juniata finisher on the men’s side, placing 42nd with a time of 27:38.06.

Freshman Ceth Parker (Sabillasville, Md./Catoctin) was 54th overall in a time of 27:57.96, while Nik Klena (Franklin, Pa./Oil City) also finished in the top half of the field in 76th place with a time of 28:50.62.

Other scoring runners for the Juniata men were Steve Schmitt (New Providence, Pa./Solanco) in 83rd place (29:04.52), Kevin Donahue (Sandy Hook, Conn./Newtown) in 94th place (29:27.67), and Tripp Rudolph (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) in 114th position (30:18.35).

Overall the men were eighth out of 13 squads with 212 points. The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point won the event with 40 points, placing seven runners in the top 20.

The women’s team was seventh out of 11 teams with 178 points, paced by newcomer Jessica Koenig (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) in 26th place with a time of 20:54.51 on the 5 km course.

Senior Meghan Jones (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) was 33rd overall with a time of 21:07.90, followed by Megan McQuillan (Severna Park, Md./Seton Keough) in 41st place in a time of 21:17.09.

Laura Rupprecht (Jefferson, Md./Brunswick) ran a time of 21:33.20 to finish 51st, followed by Danielle Brooks (Williamsburg, Pa./Williamsburg) in 61st place (21:46.90), Aubrey Cyphert (North East, Pa./Seneca) in 66th place (22:04.80) and Elizabeth Linde (Kirkwood, Pa./Solanco) in 91st position (23:19.63).

Both Juniata squads will head to Loretto, Pa., next weekend to compete in the St. Francis University Father Bede Hines Invitational.

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