Central Michigan University Athletics
Women's XC Places 16th at Regionals
11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Sophomore Melissa Darling was the Central Michigan University women's cross country team's top performer on Saturday at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships, helping the Chippewas to a 16th-place team finish.
Darling finished the 6K in 22:49, good for 72nd place. It was the first time in her career that she paced the team in a meet.
No. 17-ranked Michigan won the event with 72 points and it advances to the NCAA Championships automatically, along with No. 8 Wisconsin which finished second with 80 points. No. 10 Michigan State was third with 83 points. Miami was the top Mid-American Conference school with a sixth-place finish. CMU tallied 497 points to finish better than half the field. The top two teams receive berths to the NCAA Championships, along with the top four individuals not on qualifying teams. The national committee also selects several at-large teams.
"We ran OK," coach Karen Lutzke said. "We didn't run as well as we did at the MAC meet two weeks ago, but we weren't that far off.
"At the MAC meet we beat Bowling Green by a few points and today it beat us by a few. The difference between 14th and 16th was four points."
Danielle Dakroub placed 87th in 23:03 and Amanda Rudert was 92nd in 23:07.
"The course conditions were muddy and awful," Lutzke said. "The times are not fast. Darling did a nice job of moving up in the second mile but the group after her wasn't able to gain any ground. The No. 4 and 5 positions were further back than we'd have liked but I'd rather have us perform better at the MAC meet than this week."
Also scoring for the Chippewas were Michelle Diverio in 114th (23:28) and Brittany Dixon in 131st (23:45).
"You are not going to score well as a team if you don't have a runner in the top 25," Lutzke said. "We had some great pack running this year, we just need to develop some frontrunners now to pick up some of the small points."
Also competing for the Chippewas were Emily Van Wasshenova in 142nd (23:54) and Raeanne Lohner in 149th (24:03).
CMU now turns its attention to the indoor track season which begins on Dec. 5 at the Michigan State Open.
Darling finished the 6K in 22:49, good for 72nd place. It was the first time in her career that she paced the team in a meet.
No. 17-ranked Michigan won the event with 72 points and it advances to the NCAA Championships automatically, along with No. 8 Wisconsin which finished second with 80 points. No. 10 Michigan State was third with 83 points. Miami was the top Mid-American Conference school with a sixth-place finish. CMU tallied 497 points to finish better than half the field. The top two teams receive berths to the NCAA Championships, along with the top four individuals not on qualifying teams. The national committee also selects several at-large teams.
"We ran OK," coach Karen Lutzke said. "We didn't run as well as we did at the MAC meet two weeks ago, but we weren't that far off.
"At the MAC meet we beat Bowling Green by a few points and today it beat us by a few. The difference between 14th and 16th was four points."
Danielle Dakroub placed 87th in 23:03 and Amanda Rudert was 92nd in 23:07.
"The course conditions were muddy and awful," Lutzke said. "The times are not fast. Darling did a nice job of moving up in the second mile but the group after her wasn't able to gain any ground. The No. 4 and 5 positions were further back than we'd have liked but I'd rather have us perform better at the MAC meet than this week."
Also scoring for the Chippewas were Michelle Diverio in 114th (23:28) and Brittany Dixon in 131st (23:45).
"You are not going to score well as a team if you don't have a runner in the top 25," Lutzke said. "We had some great pack running this year, we just need to develop some frontrunners now to pick up some of the small points."
Also competing for the Chippewas were Emily Van Wasshenova in 142nd (23:54) and Raeanne Lohner in 149th (24:03).
CMU now turns its attention to the indoor track season which begins on Dec. 5 at the Michigan State Open.
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