GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Wittenberg University cross country teams got a taste of the North Coast Athletic Conference Championship Meet course today at the Denison Invitational. Both the men's and women's teams finished fourth.
Racing against a field of four teams, the men used the opportunity for a tempo run, getting to know the course at Infirmary Mound Park in Granville, the site of the conference meet on Saturday, Nov. 1.
As a result, usual leader of the pack sophomore Jon Osman (Troy, Ohio/Troy) finished last overall in what must have been a comparably pleasant morning run with temperatures just barely in the 60s. Taking the reins for the Wittenberg herd was sophomore Ethan Raines (Maineville, Ohio/Little Miami), who finished 28th among 56 runners on a time of 29:22.1.
Raines was immediately followed by freshman Frank O'Toole (Hamilton, Ohio/Ross), senior Andrew Ziminski (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany), senior Adam Kapuscinski (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) and sophomore Chase Gage (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview), in order.
The women were championed by sophomore Erin Hord (Madison, Ohio/Madison), who put together an impressive outing by finishing in 10th among 55 competitors on a time of 25:17.1.
Behind Hord, sophomore Hannah Meier (North Muskegon, Mich./North Muskegon) pulled in at 22nd overall with a time of 26:56.9. freshman Stephanie Atkinson (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon) was 29th at 27:26.6, and junior Megan Heitkemper (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) and junior Lorin Conti (Milford, Ohio/Milford) followed in 33rd and 35th.
With a solid knowledge of the conference championship course, the Tigers will next head to the site of the NCAA Division III national championships to preview the course at the Golf Center at Kings Island in a meet hosted by Wilmington College on Saturday, Sept. 27.
John Strawn '07