Cross Country Opens 2019 Slate at UCO Land Run
SNU Athletics
EDMOND, Okla. - Conditions were ideal on Saturday morning as the Southern Nazarene University cross country teams got their 2019 season under way at the annual Land Run hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma at Edmond Santa Fe High School. The course was set up for a 5K race for the women's teams, followed by a 4-mile event for the men. The field was strong, featuring some of the top teams from the Great American Conference, the Lone Star Conference, and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
SNU placed two runners within the top-40 of the women's race, and on the men's side, all five SNU scorers finished mid pack, as both teams claimed ninth place finishes.
The women took the course first, and SNU's
Sabbatha Taylor shined in the race. She posted a 10th place finish in the 129-runner field, crossing the finish line in a time of 19:34.32.
Madalyn Harper (33rd, 20:48.66),
Emma Green (54th, 21:42.55),
Rachel Hurtz (61st, 22:02.01), and Olivia Cavanaugh (83rd, 22:25.97) were the other scorers in the race, as SNU posted a team score of 290 to claim a ninth place finish in the 13 team event.
Madi Nortune (23:04.77), Lauryn Downs (24:19.38),
Jenni Wedel (25:16.73),
Rebecca Warden (25:21.76),
Nancy Velazquez (26:14.80),
Lauren Grisham (26:39.88),
Lauren Stitt (27:08.16), Sara Abbet (27:50.99),
Sydney Elliott (28:07.49),
Hannah Makela (29:49.05), and
Lauren Boswell (30:12.21) rounded out the SNU runners in the field.
On the men's side, SNU posted an identical team score of 290, but the Crimson Storm scorers were much more closely bunched.
Zach McAlpin paced the SNU contingent in the race, finishing as the 37th place-scorer in a time of 22:24.25.
Jose Pena scored in 57th, crossing the line in 23:39.20, three scoring places in front of
Garrison Bluhm who finished in 24:03.16.
Abesolom Mekuria (67th, 24:39.27) and
Taylor Hawkins (69th, 24:52.95) were the final two runners to post a counting score for SNU in the race, and
Jarrod Ferguson (28:12.56) and
Anderzon Deleon (28:44.21) also ran for the Crimson Storm.
The SNU teams will be back in action on Saturday, September 14 when they head to the Western Oklahoma Showcase hosted by Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The first race will begin at 8 a.m.
