Cougars Run Well at All-Ohio Invitational


	Lady Cougar Cross Country Recaps Cougars Run Well at All-Ohio Invitational written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Men's Race Results \| Women's Race Results CEDARVILLE, Ohio (9-30-2011) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's and women's cross country teams ran well at the All-Ohio Invitational on Friday held at Cedarville University's Elvin R. King Cross Country Course despite the weather conditions. In the women's race, MVNU finished 34th out of 47 teams and eighth out of 14 NCAA Division II and NAIA teams. Miami University won the overall title with 36 points to edge out runner-up Dayton University (46 points) and third-place finisher Ohio University (70 points). Malone University was the top small school finisher in seventh place with 258 points, while the Lady Cougars came in 34th with 1,023 points with just 29 points separating them from climbing three more spots. Juli Accurso of Ohio University won the individual title as she covered the five-kilometer course in 17:55 to finish just ahead of Margaret Bingham of Miami (17:58) and Dayton's Elissa Mason (18:01). Freshman Lincoln Green continued to lead MVNU as she finished 117th out of 317 runners in 19:49. Sophomore Ashley Mast *(left)* finished 201st in 20:56, while senior Caitlin Edwards (21:33, 233rd), freshman Becca Haught (21:43, 240th), sophomore Alex Reasoner (21:51, 243rd), sophomore Lindsey Minor (22:10, 256th), and junior Brittany Richter (22:29, 266th) rounded out the scoring for the Lady Cougars. Junior Melissa Keiser (24:18), freshman Sarah Mast (25:33), sophomore Katie Worthington (27:23), and sophomore Kathleen Finley (27:30) also competed in the women's open 5k race. "Ashley ran a great race for us today as she finished No. 2," said MVNU coach Chip Wilson. "She ran strong and had a solid finish. Likewise, Becca ran a season-best time and continues to look stronger each race. This team is fun to watch because they work together and are very competitive. Lincoln is setting the standard of what we want to achieve as a team, and our goal now is to close the gap 1-5. I am confident we can do it." In the men's race, the Cougars finished 37th out of 45 teams and 10th out of 14 NCAA Division II and NAIA teams. The University of Cincinnati won the overall title with 95 points to edge out runner-up Kent State University (109 points) and third-place University of Akron (140 points). Shawnee State University was the top small school finisher in seventh place with 182 points, while MVNU totaled 1,169 points. Cincinnati's Eric Finan and Oliver Book finished first and second individually in 24:44 and 24:58 respectively. Meanwhile, senior Nate Winters led the Cougars by covering the eight-kilometer course in 28:01 to finish 181st out of 310 runners. Sophomore Jace Wolford *(right)* was right behind in 28:07 to finish 190th, and freshman C.J. Larue (30:27, 270th), senior Kevin Poast (30:32, 273rd), senior Chad Lawver (31:04, 278th), junior Mark Rednour (32:53, 292nd), and junior Jacob Pessia (32:58, 293rd) rounded out the scoring for MVNU. Junior Anthony Lee (34:15) and sophomore Mitch McKenzie (34:39) also competed in the men's open 8k race. "Jace had one of the best races I have ever seen him run," said Wilson. "He ran a smart race, had a great kick left in him at the end, and finished with his best time of the year. C.J. was another bright spot for us in this race. He ran another personal best and this is becoming a trend each race. We did improve on our gap between our No. 1-5 as Chad also ran his best time of the year in the No. 5 spot. We are continuing to improve, and I do feel we will be ready for Wilmington in two weeks." "The weather conditions played a major role in the preparation and outcome of these races," Wilson added. "However, I was pleasantly surprised that our runners turned in solid finishing times including several season bests. I took away many positive things from both races, but I know that these next few weeks will be crucial in our training as we have reached the second half of the season." Both MVNU teams will return to action on October 14 when they will travel to the Wilmington College Invitational. The women's race is slated to start at 4:30 p.m. with the men's race to follow at 5:15 p.m.

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