#31 Mountain Lions Win Maroon Division II Race at Griak Invitational
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Megan Burrell, Angie Martell and Veronica Sandoval each finished in the top 20 of the overall results to lead the No. 31 University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's cross country team to victory in the Roy Griak Invitational Maroon Division II race this morning at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Minnesota.
The Mountain Lions defeated eight Division II teams ranked ahead of them in the latest USTFCCCA national rankings, including one top 10 team in seventh-ranked Mary. UCCS and Mary were the only teams with three runners in the top 20 of the overall results, but stronger performances from the fourth and fifth place runners put the Mountain Lions ahead of the Marauders by 88 points. UCCS won the overall title by 15 points ahead of Winona State, who wasn't ranked in the nation and ranked No. 10 in the Central Region poll.
Burrell led the Mountain Lions with 22 minutes and 39 seconds on the six-kilometer course and finished seventh among collegiate runners in the race. Martell placed in No. 12 overall with 22:58.4 and Sandoval finished No. 20 with 23:13.4 as the top three Mountain Lions finished within 45 seconds of each other.
The University of Mary held a 19-35 advantage against UCCS through the first three runners, with Winona State 10 points behind the Mountain Lions. Madison Neher finished one spot ahead of Winona's Chelsea Schrubbe, the fourth-place runners for both teams, to provide an 11-point cushion against the Warriors. The fourth-place runner from Mary didn't cross until No. 105, knocking the Marauders out of the team title race.
Ashley Benfield finished in 23:57.3 as the Mountain Lions' final scoring runner, and Alyssa Anders was able to displace points against Winona State with her time of 23:59.0, before Winona's fifth-place runner crossed the line in 24:01.8.
Today was the first competition for UCCS with conference newcomer Black Hills State, which finished in No. 19 with 556 points. UCCS had three runners ahead its second-place runner and 11 runners ahead of its third-place runner.
Up Next: UCCS will send runners to the Metro State Invitational next Saturday at Washington Park in Denver. It will be the final tuneup before the Mountain Lions host the RMAC Championships on Oct. 20 in Monument Valley Park.
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| Additional News Stories | |||
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| February 8, 2013 | .jpg) | Harmer Signs Two, Adds One Transfer for 2013-14 | David Harmer, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Head Women’s Cross Country Coach and Co-Head Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Coach, is excited to announce the addition of two student-athletes who signed National Letters of Intent. Bailey Eppard (Johnston, Iowa) and Lina Arista (Colorado Springs, Colo.) each signed during the signing period that started Wednesday. |
| December 13, 2012 |  | Neher Earns RMAC All-Academic Second Team Spot | Madison Neher, an All-RMAC and all-region runner for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's cross country team, earned a spot on the RMAC All-Academic Second Team announced on Wednesday. Angie Martell, Sarah Treese and Sara Kettelkamp also earned a spot on the RMAC Academic Honor Roll. |
| November 17, 2012 |  | Burrell Earns All-America Honor as Mountain Lions Place 10th | Megan Burrell finished in 21 minutes, 16.1 seconds and placed No. 37 overall for All-America honors to lead the University of Colorado Colorado Springs to a No. 10 finish at the 2012 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championships this morning. |
| November 16, 2012 |  | Steady Climb Leads No. 11 UCCS to National Championships | JOPLIN, Mo. – In a season that has seen the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women’s cross country team continue to gradually climb the national rankings, the No. 11 Mountain Lions look to make their return to the national stage memorable on Saturday when they compete in the 2012 NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country National Championships. The women’s six-kilometer race begins at 10:30 a.m. MST from the Missouri Southern State University Cross Country Course in Joplin, Mo. |
| November 7, 2012 |  | UCCS Improves to No. 11 in Latest National Ranking | NEW ORLEANS – A third-place finish at last weekend’s NCAA Division II South Central Region Championships moved the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women’s cross country team into No. 11 in the new U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Rankings released this afternoon. |
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