Bailey and Rupprecht lead Juniata cross country at Gettysburg Invitational

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Seniors Matt Bailey (East Petersburg, Pa./Hempfield) and Laura Rupprecht (Jefferson, Md./Brunswick) each finished among the top 20 in a crowded field to lead Juniata College finishers at the Gettysburg College Cross Country Invitational, Saturday afternoon in Gettysburg, Pa. 

Bailey finished 13^th out of 316 runners in the event, posting a time of 27:00.20. Seven of the 12 runners who finished ahead of Bailey were from Division II Shippensburg University. 

Trailing Bailey was Nik Klena (Franklin, Pa./Oil City), who was 64^th in 28:18.14. Senior Sam Williams (Roaring Spring, Pa./Central) was 74^th in a time of 28:28.25, followed by Kevin Donahue (Sandy Hook, Conn./Newtown) in 104^th place with a time of 28:58.67. Newcomer Ryan Trexler (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) was 111^th in a time of 29:08.84, while Ceth Parker (Sabillasville, Md./Catoctin) was 113^th with a mark of 29:12.73.

The Juniata men tallied 307 points in the meet, and finished 12^th out of 25 teams.

Rupprecht paced the women’s team with a time of 24:52.45 in the 6k event, finishing 18^th out of 289 runners. Anne Wakabayashi (El Cajon, Calif./Academy of Our Lady of Peace) was Juniata’s next highest finisher, placing 63^rd with a time of 26:09.95. Megan McQuillan (Severna Park, Md./Seton Keough) was 71^st with a time of 26:15.60, while newcomer Caroline Morgan (Havertown, Pa./Haverford Township) was 84^th with a mark of 26:35.10.

Jessica Koenig (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) rounded out the top 100 finishers for Juniata with her 93^rd place finish in a time of 26:47.79.

Juniata’s women’s cross country team tallied 308 points and finished 10^th out of 28 teams.

Both Juniata cross country teams have next Saturday off to prepare for the Landmark Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

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