Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Cleveland State University

The Official Home of the Cleveland State University Vikings

Vikings to Run at Ohio Invitational on Saturday

Vikings to Run at Ohio Invitational on Saturday
Posted: Sep 22, 2008

Sept. 22, 2008

Contact: Greg Murphy

Complete Release in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

THE STARTING LINE: Cleveland State is in action for the fifth time in as many weeks when the Vikings head to Athens, Ohio to compete in the Ohio Invitational. The meet will begin at 10:30 a.m.

LAST TIME OUT: Cleveland State placed two runners in the top-20 and finished fifth among 18 teams with 140 points at the Cedarville Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 20) morning. Colleen Conway ran a personal-best time of 20:02 to place 14th, while Brittany Elmlinger was close behind, finishing in 20:07 to place 16th. Both athletes received ribbons in a post-meet ceremony for placing in the top-20. The Vikings finished just seven points behind fourth place Wilmington.

THE HEAD COACH: Now in his fourth season at the helm of the cross country program, Joe Jaketic has continued to make steady progress in building the team. Last season, Jaketic guided the squad to a ninth place finish at the Horizon League Championships which came on the heels of an eighth place finish in 2006. It marked the first time since the 1996-97 MCC Championships that CSU finished ahead of a league foe in back-to-back seasons. Jaketic is in his 38th season overseeing the department's equipment operations.

SHE DOES IT HER WAY: Junior Colleen Conway had quite a weekend at the Cedarville Invitational, placing 14th with a personal-best time of 20:02 despite battling illness. Her time was three seconds better than the 20:05 she ran at the Mel Brodt Invitational just one week earlier.

NICE START, FROSH: Freshman Brittany Elmlinger has made quite an impression in her first three races for the Vikings. In her first event, Elmlinger was CSU's top finisher at the Bill Sudeck Classic (Aug. 30), placing 22nd overall in 20:52. The next two weeks, she was the Vikings second finisher, finishing 24th at the Tommy Evans Invitational (Sept. 13) with a season-best time of 20:39 and 86th at the Mel Brodt Invitational in 20:55.

CRAINE OUT: Sophomore Allison Craine will most likely miss the entire 2008 season due to a stress fracture in her leg. Craine was CSU's top finisher in all eight events last season, including a 19th place finish at the Horizon League Championships.

... BUT SHE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE: Allison Craine is not the only Viking to be nursing an injury this season. Freshmen Bridgit Conway and Ciara Seitz, as well as junior Julie Piotrowski have yet to compete due to injuries.

SISTER ACT: The CSU roster features two sets of sisters, including twins Audrey and Julie Piotrowski. The other sisters are junior Colleen Conway and her younger sibling, Bridgit, a freshman who has yet to compete in an event this season.

UP NEXT: The Vikings will have a week off before competing in the All-Ohio Championship on Friday, Oct. 10 at 2:00 p.m. in Delaware, Ohio.