September 15, 2007

Top-Ranked Men's Cross Country Team Wins Bowling Green State Invitational; Women Place Second

 
The Malone College men's cross country team, ranked #1 in the NAIA nationally, captured the Bowling Green State University Invitational last Saturday as the Pioneers easily won the event among a 12-team mostly NCAA Div. I field.  Malone went 2-3-4-6-8 to tally a score of 23 points as Ohio University took the runner-up spot with 64 points.  Oakland (IN) University was third at 69, Ashland University placed fourth at 109 and Marshall University rounded out the top five at 134.
    
The Malone women, ranked sixth in the NAIA, finished second with 77 points as Ohio University took the women's team title with 49 points among a mostly NCAA Div. I 14-team field.  Malone's Katie Bagley (Jr., Van Wert H.S.) won the individual title in 17:52.97 over the 5K course.  Toledo University placed third at 94, Bowling Green State was fourth at 107 and Indiana-Purdue (Fort Wayne) University rounded out the top five at 117.
    
For the men's team, Nik Schweikert (Jr., Beavercreek H.S.) led the way with a second-place finish in a time of 24:52.96 over the 8K course.  Aaron Melhorn (Fr., Fairless H.S.) placed third in 25:03.34 while Evan Gaynor (So., Delta H.S.) took fourth in 25:09.34.  Also scoring for Malone was Paul Robinson (So., Field H.S.) in sixth (25:24.71) and James Zeuch (Fr., Galion H.S.) in eighth (25:26.31).
    
Other competing for the Malone men included Chris Sinick (So., Field H.S.) in 16th (25:49.66), Mike Coates (Sr., Sandy Valley H.S.) in 30th (26:10.74), Matt Nichols (Fr., Crestwood H.S.) in 41st (26:29.68), Keith Burns (Jr., Minerva H.S.) in 60th (26:54.72), Jon Walkup (Fr., Cloverleaf H.S.) in 76th (27:31.85), Kyle Randolph (Fr., Galion H.S.) in 77th (27:31.91), Bryan Eckenfels (Fr., Northwestern H.S.) in 85th (27:51.64) and Jon Easterling (Jr., Ashtabula H.S.) in 119th (29:44.23).
    
The Malone women were led by Bagley but Rebekah Genter (Jr., Crestview H.S.) was not far behind as she finished in seventh place in 18:10.16.  Others who scored for Malone were Kalie Hauenstein (So., Ashland H.S.) in 17th (18:34.78), Alanna Seamon (Fr., St. Clairsville H.S.) in 27th (18:51.13), Gabrielle Wuensch (Fr., New London H.S.) in 29th (18:55.41), Lindsey Pifher (Fr., Colonel Crawford H.S.) in 47th (19:21.33) and Emily Grad (Fr., Field H.S.) in 52nd (19:26.49).
    
Others who competed for the team included Kristin Downing (Fr., Lake H.S.) in 60th (19:29.78), Danielle Wuensch (Fr., New London H.S.) in 68th (19:37.30) and Sarah Hines (So., Northmor H.S.) in 71st (19:39.40).
    
This week, the Malone teams will be idle and will next compete at the Loyola (IL) University Invitational on Saturday, September 29th.
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