Men’s and Women’s Cross County Compete at Pre-Nationals

Terre Haute, IN- The men’s and women’s cross country team competed at the 2009 Indiana State University Pre-National Invitational on Saturday. The women’s squad finished 21st in the team standings of the Women’s White Race with 571 points, and the men came in 20th in the Men’s Blue Race with 486 points.

Defending NCAA champion and currently seventh ranked Oregon won the Men’s 8,000 Meter Blue Race with 79 points and third ranked Alabama was second in the team standings with 114 points. The Bears, who claimed 20th overall, were led by a 28th place finish by Christian Escareno, who turned in a time of 24:24.0. Senior captain Duriel Hardy followed with a 44th place finish (24:39.1) and John Loeser (116) 25:23.2. Also competing was Matt Duffy (25:28.0), John Haenle (26:003.4), Colin Brett (26:06.1) and Brian Schilder (26:28.4).  The men's squad defeated 14 teams this afternoon, which included Ivy League foe Harvard by 93 points. 

Top ranked Washington ran away with the Women’s 6,000 Meter White Race team title, scoring 59 points to top ninth ranked Florida, who tallied 89 points. Fifth-ranked Princeton finished third (126), while 15th ranked Syracuse came in fourth (191).

Ari Garber led Brown’s women’s squad with a time of 21:39.1 for 49th place. Ariel Wright followed behind with a 22:00.3 for 88th, as Kesley Ramsey (119th) ran the course in 22:22.2, Lauren Pischel (152) posted a 22:42.0 and Erica Hines (163) recorded a 22:47.0. Also running was Roseanne Fleming (23:21) and Michaeline Nelson (23:42.4).