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EDINBORO, PA – Two weeks ago Edinboro
University head coach Doug Watts expected the worst. With both the
men’s and women’s teams depleted due to injuries, each
having three top runners redshirting, Watts figured his Fighting
Scot harriers would fail to qualify for Nationals for the first
time in years.
However, a week ago the women’s team
shocked him with a first place finish in the PSAC Championships,
while the men’s team came in second. With a trip to Nationals
on the line at this week’s NCAA Division II East Regional at
Slippery Rock, PA, the Fighting Scots made sure they would be
heading south on a plane with second place finishes in both the
men’s and women’s races.
The women’s team was edged by Kutztown
this time around, with the Golden Bears finishing with 51 points
and Edinboro 58. Slippery Rock was a distant third with 95 points.
On the men’s side, as expected, Lock Haven won with 49
points. Edinboro outran Shippensburg for the second berth to
Nationals, finishing with 88 points, compared to 104 for the Red
Raiders. The Fighting Scots are now headed to Pensacola, FL for
the NCAA Division II National Championships on Saturday, November
18.
Rachael Lanzel (St. Marys’, PA/St.
Marys) was unable to complete the double, with first place
finishes in both the PSAC and East Region championships. The
junior did, however, come in second for the second straight year.
She finished with a time of 22:35.22. IUP’s Nicole Blaesser
finished first with a time of 21:43.75.
Freshmen Becca Nungesser (Clarence Center,
NY/Clarence) and Kristine Beringer (Lockport, NY/Lockport)
joined Lanzel as All-East Region runners. Nungesser took home
seventh place with a time of 23:29.70, while Beringer was 14th
(23:51.10). Freshman Erica Bourgeois (Boonville, NY/
Adirondack) fell one spot shy of All-Region status, coming in
16th (23:55.30). Sophomore Ashley Ferraro (Erie, PA/Central)
was 19th (24:00.70), and redshirt freshman Kelly Bergeron
(Wallingsford, CT/Lyman Hall) was 50th (25:16.40).
On the men’s side, Dave Niemira
(Strongsville, OH/Strongsville) once again paced the Fighting
Scots, placing sixth with a time of 33:01.30. Lock Haven’s
Ryan Blood was the individual champion with a time of 31:35.00,
with Jeff Weiss of Slippery Rock second (32:01.00).
Niemira was the lone Boro runner to earn
All-Region accolades. Jeff McCabe (Exeter, PA/ Wyoming Area),
just missed, finishing 16th (33:42.90), while sophomore Josh
Arthur (Turin, NY/ South Lewis Central) was 18th (33:54.25)
and freshman Eric Brenner (Wooster, OH/Wooster) was 20th
(33:55.90). Junior David Blend (North Canton, OH/Hoover)
was the final scorer for Edinboro, coming in 28th (34:27.55).
Redshirt freshman Andy Thoman (Strongsville, OH/Strongsville)
and freshman Ryan Sheer (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool)
completed the Edinboro contingent, finishing 53rd (35:11.55) and
79th (36:04.1), respectively. |
