The No.1 Dordt University women's cross country team won the team championship at the Blazing Tiger Classic held today at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb.
Today's win was the fourth of the season for the top-ranked Defenders as they also took home titles at the Sunflower Open and both the Gold and Black Division races at the Holiday Inn Express Classic.
The Defenders, competing without their four top runners, totaled 104 points, first among the field of 28 teams, 11 of which were either ranked or receiving votes in the latest coaches' poll. Ninth-ranked Benedictine (Kan.) was second with 134 points, followed by SCAD (Ga.), Saint Mary (Kan.) and Mount Mercy.
Addy Crow was the top Dordt runner, finishing 13th overall with a 6K time of 22:39, matching her season best. Crow was the second GPAC runner to finish (Emily DeGroot - Northwestern, 12th place).
Jeni Burtis was close behind in 15th place with a time of 22:48, giving the Defenders two finishers among the top 15.
Elyse Zwart and
Katie Young both finished in the 20's with Zwart crossing the finish line in 21st place (23:08) and Young in 27th place (23:17).
Natalie Smith was the final scorer for the Defenders, placing 33rd with a time of 23:22, three seconds off her career best.
Grace Steinmetz (Bellevue), who set the course record in last year's race, won the individual title and completed the 6K course in 21:28.
By the Numbers:
- Dordt's total time was 1:55:16
- the Defenders 1-5 split was just 44 seconds; the 1-7 split was 1:05
- 28 complete teams and 301 runners finished today's race
- 36 Defenders completed the race
Notes:
- Crow was the top Defenders runner for the first time this season
- Crow has finished in the top 25 in three meets this season
- Burtis has been among the Defenders top 10 runners in every meet this season
- Burtis recorded her second top 25 finish of the season
- Zwart has been among the Defenders top eight runners in all four meets this season
- Zwart has three top 25 finishes this season
- Young has been among the Defenders top 10 runners in all four meets this season
- two Defenders, Addy Crow and Eden Sullivan, ran season-best times
- Dordt will next compete at the GPAC Championship on Nov.7
