Five AU cross-country runners competed at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Nov. 12 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, but none were able to earn a bid into next week’s NCAA Championships.
Octavia Rinehardt was the only member from the women’s team to compete in the race, and the senior finished in 27th place with a time of 22:43.5.
Rinehardt finished 18th in the race last year with a time of 20:57, and became just the third woman in program history to qualify for the NCAA championships.
Villanova University and Georgetown University shared the region title on the women’s side, with each team recording 57 points in the meet. West Virginia University finished in third place with 64 points.
Villanova’s Sheila Reed, who finished with a time of 21:32.7, won the women’s race, while Georgetown’s Emily Infeld came in second at 21:34.0.
Runners from Villanova, Georgetown and West Virginia accounted for eight of the race’s top ten finishers.
Four members from the AU men’s team competed in the event, led by Josh Olsen, who finished in 28th with a time of 31:18.5. Olsen improved from his finish last year, when he finished in 62nd place with a time of 31:56.
Mark Allen crossed the finish line next on the men’s side, coming in 44th with a time of 31:46.3. Allen also improved on his time from a year ago, when he finished in 77th with a time of 32:17.
John Pope finished two spots behind Allen, as the sophomore clocked in at 31:48.7 to come in 46th place in his first regional.
Ryan Williams was the final AU finisher on the men’s side, as he placed 88th after finishing the course in 32:50.1.
Georgetown and Villanova again finished at the top of the standings in the men’s meet, with the Hoyas earning the region title with 47 points. Villanova was the runner-up with 63 points, while Princeton University came in third with 90 points.
Donn Cabral of Princeton won the men’s race with a time of 30:30.3, while Ryan Sheridan crossed the line second at 30:38.6.
Georgetown placed four runners in the top 10, as Alexander Lundy, Mark Dennin, Andrew Springer and T.C. Lumbar all put forth strong finishes.
The NCAA Championships are set for Nov. 21 at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Ind. Villanova will be looking to defend its team title on the women’s side, while Oklahoma State University will be looking to win another crown on the men’s side.
ttomea@theeagleonline.com
