Oct. 17, 2009

Team Results
Individual Results

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Miami University women’s cross country team ran to a 20th-place finish Saturday afternoon at the 6K Pre-Nationals Invitational Blue Race, hosted by Indiana State University, that was run on the LaVern Gibson Championship Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center. The 37-team field was the RedHawks’ toughest of the season, as it featured seven nationally ranked teams.

Miami, which is ranked No. 8 in the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association Great Lakes Region poll, finished with 545 points and ahead of Dayton and Marquette, who are also ranked in the USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region poll. The ’Hawks were the second of four Mid-American Conference teams in the Blue Race, placing ahead of Central Michigan (31st) and Ohio (35th) but 64 points behind Toledo (16th).

Senior Amanda Mirochna (Naperville, Ill.) paced Miami with a 73rd-place finish in 21:52.9, finishing 13 places better than she did at last year’s Pre-Nationals. Mirochna was the RedHawks’ top finisher for the second time this season. Fellow senior Kelsey McHugh (Columbus, Ohio) was second for Miami in 107th place in 22:09.2.

Junior Katie Lenahan (Cincinnati, Ohio), sophomore Maggie Bingham (Carmel, Ind.) and senior Laura Neufarth (Centerville, Ohio) rounded out Miami’s scoring five, all finishing within six seconds of each other. Lenahan set a 6K personal-best time of 22:13.4, improving 28 places from last year’s race, while Bingham also set a 6K personal best with a time of 22:18.7, placing 31 spots higher than a year ago.

No. 19 Colorado won the race with 94 points while No. 11 Florida State finished second. The Buffaloes’ Jenny Barringer won the race in 19:50.9.

The RedHawks next compete Saturday, Oct. 31, when they head to Athens, Ohio for the MAC Championship, hosted by Ohio University, where they will try to repeat as MAC champions.

--MURedHawks.com--