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SLIPPERY ROCK, PA – The Edinboro
University women’s cross country team won its eighth straight
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday,
as the Fighting Scots easily outdistanced runner-up Bloomsburg. In
addition, Julie Nemergut (Youngstown, OH/South Range)
repeated as the individual champion. Slippery Rock hosted the
championship at Cooper’s Lake Campground.
Edinboro finished with 34 points as all five
scorers earned All-PSAC honors. Bloomsburg totaled 97 points, with
Kutztown third with 100 points. Nemergut covered the 6,000 meter
course in a time of 21:48, defeating teammate Rachael Lanzel
(St. Marys, PA/St. Marys Area) by 11 seconds. Kelly
Richards (Edinboro, PA/General McLane) placed fifth with a
time of 22:34, followed by Heather Wilmoth (Sugar Grove,
PA/Eisenhower) with an 11th place finish (22:59). The fifth
all-conference performer was Michele Kelly (Carlisle,
PA/Carlisle), who earned All-PSAC honors for the first time in
cross country with a 15th place finish (23:09).
In addition to those five, Lindsay Roberts
(Wattsburg, PA/Seneca) placed 18th with a time of 23:29 in her
first race of the year, and Kiersten Buckley (Erie,
PA/Mercyhurst Prep) was 27th (23:42). Roberts has been out
with an injury all year.
The men’s cross country team earned a
second place finish for the third straight year. Head coach Doug
Watts had noted earlier in the week that he wasn’t sure if
his men’s team had the up-front runners to compete, but did
have depth. Instead, Edinboro had two of the top six finishers,
but no one else higher than 17th. The Fighting Scots finished with
70 points, narrowly losing to Lock Haven. The Bald Eagles finished
with 63 points. Shippensburg was third with 110 points.
Ryan Coon (Clymer, NY/Sherman), noted
for his strong postseason performances, led the way for the Scots
with a fifth place finish (25:40). Jared Lowry (North Canton,
OH/North Canton Hoover) placed sixth with the same time.
Unfortunately, those were the only two men’s
runners to earn All-PSAC honors. John Moneyhon (Columbus,
OH/Dublin Coffman) placed 17th (26;12), falling back in the
final 1 ½ miles after running in the top eight up to that
point. Nick Hankins (Pepper Pike, OH/Orange) was next in
20th place (26:19), followed by Dan Field (East Aurora,
NY/East Aurora) in 22nd place (26:24). Jeremy Boehm
(Lewisberry, PA/Red Land), 23rd with a time of 26:29, and Travis
Prejean (Jamestown, NY/ Jamestown), 41st (27:08) rounded out
the Edinboro runners.
Next up for the cross country teams is the NCAA
Division II East Regional at Lock Haven on Saturday, November 5. A
year ago the women’s team used championships in the PSAC and
east Regional races as springboards to a second place finish at
Nationals. |
