Results (PDF)• Sophomore
Kelly Hayes led HPU with a 51
st place finish (18:37.90)
• Junior
Natalia Ocasio (18:37.90) and senior
Katie Farina (18:50.80) each posted 5k collegiate best times
• High Point returns to action next Saturday (Oct. 3) at the Big South preview meet
EARLYSVILLE, Va. – The High Point University women's cross country team earned an 11
th-place finish at the elite Virginia/Panorama Farms Invitational on Saturday.
No. 17 Virginia won its home meet with 30 points. No. 31 Mississippi State finished second with 83 points, followed by Auburn (106). HPU posted 284 points and placed ahead of Liberty, Hofstra, Morehead State and Hofstra. Big South foe Coastal Carolina placed seventh (195 points).
"It was disappointing to finish behind Coastal in our first head-to-head race, but the important thing is that we gained a lot of working information regarding how we need to approach the conference meet on Oct. 31," head coach
Jenna Wrieden said. "We need to take that information and put it to good use over the next five weeks of preparation."
Sophomore
Kelly Hayes led HPU for the third time in three races this season with a 51
st-place finish. The Pearl River, N.Y., product crossed the finish line in 18:37.90.
Junior
Cozette Collin served as HPU's No. 2 runner Saturday and placed 55
th in a time of 18:44.90.
Fellow junior
Natalia Ocasio finished 59
th in a collegiate-best 5k time of 18:49.30 while senior
Katie Farina also posted a 5k PR (18:50.80) while finishing 61
st.
Senior
Julia Zautcke placed 87
th in 19:46.40 and fellow senior
Erika Peoples was 101
st in 20:20.30.
Rounding out the HPU contingent, senior
Sarah Bode placed 103
rd in 20:30.40 and senior
Kasey Spence finished 111
th in 20:53.10.
"I thought our runners No. 2-4 did a much better job of finding each other in a competitive field," Wrieden said. "Natalia and Katie ran well. Kelly had a bit of an off day but she's going to be fine. She's someone I can always depend on and I know she'll grow from this experience. We are still lacking at the fifth runner position, but I think adding Courtney [Kerr] back into the mix will help and I believe Erika and Julia can make up that ground as well."
The Panthers return to action next weekend at the Big South preview event, the USC Upstate Invitational. The event kicks off at 9 a.m. on Saturday (Oct. 3) in Spartanburg, S.C.
#GoHPU
