IU achieves top honors in Terre Haute Friday

The IU men and women’s cross country teams both received the top prize this weekend at the Indiana Intercollegiates meet at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute.

Senior Kelsey Duerkson won her second consecutive meet for the Hoosiers, running the 5K course in 17:51. Senior Caitlin Engel followed shortly behind for a second place finish of 17:59.

The women’s team posted a score of 29 points, placing its top five runners in the top 12 of the race. This led to victories against Purdue and Indiana State, second and third overall, respectively.

Sophomore Molly Winters, graduate student Molly Hirt and junior Erica Ridderman rounded out the Hoosiers’ top five.

As for the men, sophomore Evan Esselink was able to maintain the top spot for the Hoosiers, coming in sixth overall for the 8K course in 25:05.

IU was able to fight a good start by ISU, whose top two runners, John Mascari and Al Escalera, placed in the first two spots.

The Hoosiers came in strong behind Esselink as junior Robby Nierman, graduate student Adam Behnke, senior Nate Morrow and sophomore JR Ricker took the ninth, 10th, 11th and 13th spots, respectively, to outscore second-place Butler 49-70.

The men were without their top two runners, All-American senior Andy Bayer and fellow senior Zack Mayhew, who rested for the first two meets of the season.

The next meet for the Hoosiers will be in two weeks when on Sept. 29 they head to Lawrence, Kan., for the Rim Rock Farm Classic.

— Brian Walsh