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OCT.
7 — Goshen Picks Up Pace As Homestretch Nears
Petkova
re-sets course record as squad takes fifth at Eagle Invitational |
Lisle, IL — With just two weeks
remaining until the Mid-Central Conference Championships, the Goshen
College women’s cross country team appears to be finding
its collective stride: Junior Petrana Petkova won her second straight
race at Friday’s Benedictine University Eagle Invitational,
helping her team group to take a fifth-place finish at the 25-team
event.
“Our women’s team did quite well overall in the meet,
especially given the mix of schools that were present,” said
Doug Yoder, Goshen head coach. “We are beginning to run more
consistently top to bottom, and that is a key.”
Teams ranging from the NCAA Div. I to the community college levels
participated in Friday’s five-kilometer race, but again it
was Petkova that made the most lasting impression of any runner
at the event. After setting a new Benedictine course record with
her first-place time of 18:37.0 last season, Petkova re-set the
mark Friday, finishing first in a clip of 18:15.5, her fastest
official time of the season to date. Petkova’s clip not only
shattered her old course record that stood for a year — her
original record-setting run came on Oct. 8 of last season — but
outdid Friday’s second-place finisher by over a minute. North
Park University’s Shannon McInnis took runner up honors in
a time of 19:23.8.
Petrana was in first place overall for the entire race,” Yoder
said. “She set the pace and did not look back.”
Aiding Petkova’s efforts was a strong supporting cast, as
junior Laura Herr took 11th place overall in a time of 20:05. Senior
Rachel Yantzi finished 31st in a clip of 20:54, while freshman
Laura Harnish was 51st in a time of 21:49. Sophomore Anna Mast
was right behind Harnish, finishing 52nd in just seven-tenths of
a second off Harnish’s clip.
“Laura Herr continues to improve each time out as does Anna
Mast,” Yoder
said. “We are really starting to narrow the gap of the one
through five runners which is important when it comes to the conference
meet and how we’ll fare there.”
Goshen’s 129 team points was fifth behind NCAA Div. I Northern
Illinois University’s 34, Bethel College’s 76, North
Park’s 111 and St. Mary University’s 128. For a complete
list of team scores and individual times and results, click here.
Goshen will next compete in the Manchester College Invitational
on Saturday, Oct. 15 in its final tune-up for the MCC Championships.
Women’s race time is set for 11 a.m. The conference meet
will be one week later — Saturday, Oct. 22 — on the
campus of Huntington University.
Goshen Individual Results
Petrana Petkova (1st) — 18:15
Laura Herr (11th) — 20:05
Rachel Yantzi (31st) — 20:54
Laura Harnish (51st) — 21:49
Anna Mast (52nd) — 21:49
Rachel Wigginton (84th) — 22:53
Tessa Horst (86th) — 23:02
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  Junior
Petrana Petkova
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