Remaining unbeaten on the year, senior Stephanie Case dominated the 6,000-meter course at the Mack Cooper Classic in 22:25, leading the Slippery Rock women’s cross country team to a second place team finish last Friday.
First place was taken by Wayne State, second by the Rock, and placing third was Carnegie Mellon University.
Grove City, Clarion, Washington-Jefferson, and Garrett College made up the rest of the competing teams on Friday night.
Placing eighth out of all competitors was freshman Karly Knechtel, competing in her first 6,000-meter race.
She completed her run in 23:50 and was the second Green and White runner to cross the finish line.
Now that Knechtel has completed her first 6,000-meter race, the looming question is what her next big step will be.
“The next step is the Lock Haven meet,” Knechtel said. “I’m really excited for it. I’ve been told that it’s a fast and flat course so I’m hoping to set a new personal record!”
Although the chilly weather wasn’t the greatest for being a spectator on Friday night, for the participants it was beneficial.
“I was worried that we might have headwind going up the hills, but the wind died down right before we ran. I think the cooler temperature felt great!” Knechtel said.
Assembling the rest of the top five finishers for the Green and White were senior Abby Michaelian, sophomore Janine Powis, and freshman Emilee Hertweck.
Out of the 100 runners that competed, the top five Slippery Rock runners placed 26th or higher.
Following the second place finish, head coach John Papa was left wanting a little more from the top finishers, but was brightly optimistic about what the season has in store.
“I have confidence that by the end of the year we’ll pack ‘em in a little tighter, which will make us a significantly better team.” Papa said.
The next competition for the Green and White comes tomorrow at Lock Haven University with the race set to begin at 11:30 a.m.
Several fellow PSAC competitors will be participating in the invitational this weekend.
The teams involved will be composed of Clarion, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, and West Chester.
The Lock Haven Invitational will be a good preview of the front-runners for the PSAC championships, which will be held at Coopers Lake Campground on October 20.
