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Cross Country Finishes Ninth at Final Regular Season Meet

Cross Country Finishes Ninth at Final Regular Season Meet

Oct. 16, 2010

Contact: Greg Murphy

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Cleveland State competed in its final regular season meet of the season on Saturday morning, finishing ninth of 17 teams at the Bowling Green Falcon Invitational with 249 points.

The Vikings finished two places behind fellow league member Youngstown State and right ahead of 10th place Wright State which totaled 268 points.

The race was the first 6K event of the year for the Vikings.

"We ran awesome today," head coach Joe Jaketic said. "We had a beautiful weather day to run and we were really able to take advantage of it. They were running in a pack for the first mile or so and everyone looked relaxed and confident when I saw them after the first mile.

"They continued to run at a great pace and post some outstanding 5K times with 1,000 yards still to go. But they didn't quit and finished the race hard. I've been working them extremely hard in practice and it is no doubt showing with the results that we are getting in these races. I told them today that they had to go out and just believe and that's what they did."

Junior Allison Craine was the Vikings top finisher, placing 24th in 22:47, passing the 5K mark at 19:16.

She was the first of six CSU harriers to go past the 5K mark in under 20 minutes.

"I told them before the race to go out and run a hard 5K race and they did," Jaketic said. "We haven't had many runners go under 20 minutes for a 5K before this season and today we go out and have six runners do it. And they still had 1,000 yards to go to the finish."

Junior Brittany Elmlinger was 40th in 23:04 (19:22 5K time), while junior Andria Bazilevich claimed 59th place in 23:38, posting a college best 5K time of 19:48.

Junior Kari Haywood was 62nd in 23:48 (19:58 was her 5K time), while junior Kelly Zaleski was 64th in 23:50, recording a 5K time of 19:52.

Jordan Hoile was the Vikings sixth finisher, posting a time of 24:03, while also going under 20 minutes for her 5K time with a 19:58.

CSU's top six finishers all posted better times than the Vikings top finisher at the exact same event last year (24:08).

"What more can you say," Jaketic said. "The entire team ran awesome today. We have a two weeks before the league championship and we want to go there and show what we have been doing all season."

CSU is back in action on Saturday (Oct. 30) when the Vikings compete in the Horizon League Championship in Chicago, Ill.

CSU RESULTS
24. Allison Craine, 22:47
40. Brittany Elmlinger, 23:04
59. Andria Bazilevich, 23:38
62. Kari Haywood, 23:48
64. Kelly Zaleski, 23:50
71. Jordan Hoile, 24:03
94. Rachel Niemi, 26:49.