Defiance, OH — After losing four-time All-American Petrana Petkova and NAIA National Championships qualifier Laura Herr to graduation last spring, Goshen College women’s cross country coach Doug Yoder has simply changed parts.
Junior Laura Harnish — the third leg of Goshen’s 2006 NAIA National Championships representation — won her first collegiate cross country meet at the Defiance College Invitational Saturday, finishing the event in a time of 18:58.72 and helping the Leafs to a second-place performance overall.
Harnish, who missed last season’s Defiance Invite due to a personal commitment, seemed eager to make up for lost time on Saturday, taking an early lead and never looking back. Only the University of Findlay’s Jessica Latham posed any threat — finishing second in a time of 19:07.50 — as Harnish gave an auspicious preview of possible things to come.
“Laura was outstanding today for the entire race,” Yoder said. “She took control of the race early and lead throughout the race, not really being challenged.”
Harnish’s previous collegiate best was a second-place finish at last season’s Manchester College Invite (click here for related article), as the then-sophomore took runner-up honors behind an 18:52 clip.
Saturday at Defiance, sophomores Rachael Baker and Tina Peters provided needed support to Harnish’s championship run, finishing eighth and 13th overall, respectively. Baker came on strong with a 20:31.00 time, while Peters — last year’s NAIA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field National Champion in the race walk — finished at a 21:10.78 clip.
“Rachael Baker had what I hope is a break through run for her today,” Yoder said. “We have been waiting for this kind of race from her, as she really turned it on.”
Even with the impressive finishes from Harnish, Baker and Peters, Goshen’s 67 team points paled in comparison with Findlay’s 20 points, as the Oilers took remarkable second- through seventh-place individual finishes. The Leafs, meanwhile, had plenty of a gap between its third and fourth runners, as freshman Michelle Miller finished 30th overall in a time of 23:30.40 as Goshen’s next finisher.
“Team-wise, Findlay has an impressive squad,” Yoder said. “Taking second through seventh definitely shows their strength. For us to finish second as a team in this field is a good showing for us. We need to get stronger overall and close the gap with our one through five runners.”
Freshman Maria Byler finished fifth for Goshen — and the final scoring piece — in a 23:34.44 time, good for 31st overall. That clip equated to a 4:36 gap time for the Leafs’ top five runners.
Heidelberg College (83 points), Bluffton University (111), Defiance (117) and Cuyahoga Community College (127) rounded off the list of competing schools at the event. Fifty-nine athletes competed. For a complete look at individual and team times and place breakdowns, click here.
Goshen will next compete in the Indiana Intercollegiates at Purdue University on Friday. Meet time for the women’s race is set for 4:45 p.m.
Goshen Individual Results
Laura Harnish (1st) — 18:58.72
Rachael Baker (8th) — 20:31.00
Tina Peters (13th) — 21:10.78
Michelle Miller (30th) — 23:30.40
Maria Byler (31st) — 23:34.44
Renee Miller (41st) — 24:21.13
Tessa Horst (44th) — 24:41.81
Bethany Loberg (49th) — 25:41.81
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Sophomore Rachael Baker