CEDARVILLE, Ohio – The Cleveland State cross country team returned to action Saturday afternoon, competing at the All-Ohio Championship.
Saturday's All-Ohio meet featured a championship 6K race and an open 6K race.
"It was great to get back in a competitive environment today," head coach Jason Hudson said. "It was a very hot day today, and we struggled a bit adjusting to the conditions, but that is something that we will need to get used to and improve on as the season continues. Along with our top finishers, we had some people who were coming off injuries that ran really well for us, and we will need their performances as we continue to get closer to the league meet."
In the first 6K of the year, junior Anna Brandt paced the Vikings, finishing 14th individually with a time of 22:46. For the second straight race, Olivia Hammons was the second Viking to cross the finish line, as she recorded a 6K time of 24:01 to finish 65th overall.
The freshmen duo of Hannah Korte and Emily Nemeth were the next Vikings to finish, posting times of 24:19 and 25:19, respectively, in their first collegiate 6K races.
"Anna did a nice job of working her way up to the front of the pack as the race progressed, and was once again our top finisher this week. I thought Olivia ran a really strong race today, and after showing great leadership in practice she is finally seeing her efforts pay off in meets. Hannah continues to improve as she figures out how to race with collegiate competitors, and will no doubt continue to have an impact on our team results," Hudson said.
Lily Michael (25:40) and Heather McArdle (25:53) were the next CSU runners to cross the finish line, while Grace Holmes posted a career-best 6K time of 26:15.
Newcomers Zoe Lexovsky (25:58) and Haley Rozeski (26:22) rounded out the Cleveland State competitors in the championship race.
In the open race, Kylie Scott led the Vikings placing 25th individually with a time of 25:13, while Jessica Byler (26:33), Abbey Rojeck (26:40) and Deanna Swinerton (26:50) also represented Cleveland State.
The Vikings will continue their 2019 campaign at the Disney Cross Country Classic, which is set for Saturday, October 12 in Orlando, Florida.
Championship Race
14. Anna Brandt, 22:46
65. Olivia Hammons, 24:01
80. Hannah Korte, 24:19
131. Emily Nemeth, 25:19
144. Lily Michael, 25:40
149. Heather McArdle, 25:53
157. Zoe Lexovsky, 25:58
169. Grace Holmes, 26:15
175. Haley Rozeski, 26:22
Open Race
25. Kylie Scott, 25:13
62. Jessica Byler, 26:33
65. Abbey Rojeck, 26:40
70. Deanna Swinerton, 26:50