Oct. 29, 2011
Contact: Renee Adam
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Horizon League Championship Photo Gallery
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GATES MILLS, Ohio - Behind three top-40 finishes, the Cleveland State cross country team placed fourth at the 2011 Horizon League Championship, their highest finish in program history. Senior Allison Craine paced the Vikings with a 16th place overall finish.
Butler earned the 2011 team championship, finishing the race with 28 team points, while Youngstown State finished second (58 points), Loyola placed third (75) and the Vikings finished fourth with 167 team points.
"Everyone had a great race today despite the course conditions being what they were and I am so proud of this group and what they have accomplished this season," head coach Joe Jaketic said. "We ran a very strategic race today and it paid off. We were able to record our highest finish in program history which says a lot about this group and what they are capable of."
Craine, who finished 16th for the second straight year, crossed the finish line in a time of 20:03 to lead CSU. Her 16th place finishes mark the highest individual finish for a Viking over the past nine seasons.
Freshman Kendra Kezur was the second Viking to finish, crossing the line in 31st place, in a time of 21:00. Kari Haywood recorded the third top-40 finish, placing 34th with a time of 21:12.
The trio of Katie Webb, Tori Holt and Kelly Zaleski were the next Vikings to finish, as they all recorded top-50 times. Webb placed 40th with a time of 21:22, Holt finished 46th in a time of 21:34 and Zaleski was 48th with a time of 21:50. Brittany Elmlinger rounded out the scoring group for CSU, as she finished 56th in a time of 22:37.
Andria Bazilevich, Melissa Boyes, Angela Kirila, Ashley Berlin and Rachel Niemi also competed for the Vikings at the Horizon League Championship, led by Boyes who tied her season-best after finishing 72nd in a time of 23:04. Bazilevich finished 68th with a time of 22:55, Kirila placed 77th (23:15), Berlin finished 94th (25:49) and Neimi finished 95th (26:16).
The Vikings will finish the 2011 season on Saturday, November 12 when they participate in the NCAA Regionals in Toledo, Ohio.
