Spring Break
W. cross country wins region over 43 teams
Issue date: 11/20/08
The Hopkins men's and women's cross country teams competed in the NCAA Mideast Regionals in Waynesburg, Penn. this weekend. The women dominated the field, finishing first out of 44 teams. The men's team also did well, finishing in eighth place.
The frigid, muddy conditions did not stop the women's team from racing to a commanding victory over the rest of the 43-team field, as the Lady Jays finished in first place by an astounding 49-point margin. A team score is determined by adding together the places of the team's top five finishers.
"The course was muddy since it was raining earlier and the guys ran the course before the girls, which made it a little more challenging. It was also pretty cold. I think this was the coldest race we've run so far this season," star junior Laura Paulsen said.
Paulsen led the pack for the Lady Jays, finishing fourth overall with a time of 22:15. Despite her phenomenal performance, Paulsen felt she could have done even better,"I personally didn't run a great race. I've beaten the girl who won regionals twice this season already, since she's from our conference, so I don't know what happened. Hopefully at nationals though I'll be more ready to race again," Paulsen said.
Each of Hopkins's top five runners finished in the top 25, a feat that seems even more impressive when factoring in the fact that 305 runners competed in the regional meet.
Junior Mira Patel finished in seventh place, finishing at 22:36. Senior Emma Hiza crossed the line at the 23:28 mark, good for 22nd place.
Hopkins also controlled 23rd and 24th places, as well, as senior Rachel Hogen finished directly behind Hiza and freshman Cecilia Furlong finished directly behind Hogen. Hogen finished the race at 23:29, while Furlong came in just a few seconds later at 23:32. Senior Mary O'Grady finished in 66th place with a time of 24:35, and freshman Christina Valerio came in 73rd, finishing at 24:42. Hopkins finished with 80 points to earn first place out of 44 teams. Dickinson finished second with 129 points, followed by Messiah (174), Elizabethtown (182) and Grove City (186), to round out the top five.
The frigid, muddy conditions did not stop the women's team from racing to a commanding victory over the rest of the 43-team field, as the Lady Jays finished in first place by an astounding 49-point margin. A team score is determined by adding together the places of the team's top five finishers.
"The course was muddy since it was raining earlier and the guys ran the course before the girls, which made it a little more challenging. It was also pretty cold. I think this was the coldest race we've run so far this season," star junior Laura Paulsen said.
Paulsen led the pack for the Lady Jays, finishing fourth overall with a time of 22:15. Despite her phenomenal performance, Paulsen felt she could have done even better,"I personally didn't run a great race. I've beaten the girl who won regionals twice this season already, since she's from our conference, so I don't know what happened. Hopefully at nationals though I'll be more ready to race again," Paulsen said.
Each of Hopkins's top five runners finished in the top 25, a feat that seems even more impressive when factoring in the fact that 305 runners competed in the regional meet.
Junior Mira Patel finished in seventh place, finishing at 22:36. Senior Emma Hiza crossed the line at the 23:28 mark, good for 22nd place.
Hopkins also controlled 23rd and 24th places, as well, as senior Rachel Hogen finished directly behind Hiza and freshman Cecilia Furlong finished directly behind Hogen. Hogen finished the race at 23:29, while Furlong came in just a few seconds later at 23:32. Senior Mary O'Grady finished in 66th place with a time of 24:35, and freshman Christina Valerio came in 73rd, finishing at 24:42. Hopkins finished with 80 points to earn first place out of 44 teams. Dickinson finished second with 129 points, followed by Messiah (174), Elizabethtown (182) and Grove City (186), to round out the top five.
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