Cross country splits team, competes in two tournaments

The Hoosiers’ cross country team competed in two races on Saturday.

IU Coach Ron Helmer split the team between the Adidas Invitational in Madison, Wis., and the Pre-Nationals race in Terra Haute, Ind.

The women placed 12th as a team overall in the Adidas Invitational, and the men finished in 17th place.

Junior Kelsey Duerksen was the first Hoosier to finish the women’s 6-kilometer race, crossing the line in 20 minutes and four seconds.

Duerksen finished in 12th place overall.

Her teammate, senior Samantha Ginther, finished six seconds behind her, crossing the line in 20 minutes and 10 seconds to finish 20th overall.

Other runners who ran in the Hoosiers’ top five to help secure the 12th-place Indiana finish were senior Erica Ridderman and freshmen Amanda Behnke and Chanlie Mundy.

The men were led by freshman Carl Smith, who finished in 36th place.

Smith ran the men’s 8-kilometer race in 23 minutes and 54 seconds.

Junior Evan Esselink was the second Hoosier to finish, crossing the line in 23 minutes and 59 seconds to capture 48th place.

Junior JR Ricker, sophomore Rorey Hunter and senior Robby Nierman were the other top five runners for IU.

The women who competed in the Pre-Natioanls race placed 22nd as a team.

The average race time for the entire team was 22 minutes and 53 seconds.

Junior Molly Winters had the fastest time for the Hoosiers, running a time of 20 minutes and five seconds. Her overall placing was 52nd.

Senior Samantha Gwin finished behind Winters, running a time of 22 minutes and 16 seconds for a 65th-place finish.

The men who represented IU at the Pre-Nationals race finished in 21st place.

Their average time as a team was 24 minutes and 44 seconds.

Sophomore Matt Schwartzer led the Hoosiers, finishing in 24 minutes and 11 seconds. He had a 49th-place finish overall.

His teammate, freshman Jason Crist, finished second for the Hoosiers.

Crist ran a time of 24 minutes and 17 seconds, giving him a 58th-place finish.

The Hoosiers can now start looking ahead to the Big Ten Championships, as that will be their next competition.

That race will take place Nov. 3 in West Lafayette.
 
— Frank Bonner