Pack Running Proves To Be Strength For Cross Country Teams
9/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Akron, Ohio -- The YSU men's and women's cross country teams were back in action Thursday night, competing against Kent State, Malone, and Akron at the Tommy Evans Invitational in Akron. Both squads noted significant overall improvements from last year's invitational.
Men's Recap
With only 35 seconds between YSU's first runner and fifth runner, the men's team once again demonstrated strong pack running. They shaved approximately 40 seconds off their pack time from Duquesne and an impressive 1:38 from last year's best pack time of 2:13. They achieved this while competing against MAC Champions Kent State and nationally-ranked Malone.
Senior Jim Ramson finished the four-mile race first for the Guins with a time of 21:01 (17th of 43 runners). Freshman Eric Rupe set a personal best finishing nine seconds after Ramson at 21:10 (22nd). Jake Lape and Joe Copploe finished together at 21:33 (27th and 28th, respectively); and Jake Dialesandro rounded out the top five at 21:35 (30th).
Individual Results - Men 4 Miles
Men 2009/2010/Improvement
Jim Ramson/21:32/21:01(31 seconds improvement)
Eric Rupe 21:10 Personal-best
Jake Lape 21:52/21:33(19 seconds improvement)
Joe Copploe 22:37/21:33(1:04 seconds improvement)
Jake Dialesandro 21:38/21:35(3 seconds improvement)
Scott
Denham 23:49/22:08(1:41 seconds improvement)
Aron
Korir 22:53
Rick
Lape 23:58/23:42(16 seconds improvement)
Lance Rhongi 24:12
Team Results
Akron 15, YSU 50
Kent State 18, YSU 37
Women's Recap
Similar to last Saturday's meet at Duquesne, the women's team also improved their pack running and personal-best times. There was only 1:35 between YSU's first and fifth runners. This is already a great improvement from 2009, as the closest gap between the top five finishers last season was 2:12.
Hamilton, who completed the 5k race in 18:50 for a fourth-place finish out of 46 runners, was followed by Anna Pompeo (personal-best 19:45/19th place), Katherine Digby (19:48/20th), Rachel Huddle (20:15/ 30th), and Nelly Yegon (personal-best 20:25/31st). Additionally, YSU's top five runners finished ahead of Kent State's fifth runner.
The team is looking forward to having senior Kayla Witmer healthy and improving the team gap to under a minute, according to Head Coach Brian Gorby.
Individual Results – Women 5k
Women 2009/2010/Improvement
Samantha Hamilton/19:10/18:50 (20 seconds improve)
Anna Pompeo 19:45 Career personal-best
Katherine Digby/19:52/19:48 (4 seconds improve)
Rachel Huddle 20:15
Nelly Yegon/21:18/20:25 Career personal-best (53 seconds
improve)
Kelcie Witmer 22:45/Improved from Duquense
Jionna Bodrick 24:49/Improved from Duquense
Team Results
Akron 19, YSU 44
Kent State 26, YSU 29
Malone 18, YSU 45
The teams return to the course on Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Iona
Meet of Champions in Brooklyn, N.Y.
