Saturday, October 31
Shepherd, Mich.
1 p.m.
Central Michigan University
vs
Toledo, Western Michigan
Photo by: Andy Sneddon
Off And Running
10/31/2020 3:34:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
Chippwas cross country opens with Drenth Memorial
SHEPHERD, Mich. – It was just good to get back at it.
The Central Michigan cross country team kicked off the COVID-delayed 2020 season on Saturday with the annual Jeff Drenth Memorial on the 5K Shepherd High School course.
It was the first intercollegiate event for any CMU team in the fall, 2020 semester. The Chippewa football team is set to open on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at home against Ohio, and the CMU cross country team will return to action with a meet at Bowling Green on Saturday, Nov. 7.
"The kids have been working super hard the past couple of months not knowing when their next opportunity to race would be," CMU Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Jenny Swieton said. "It's been about seven months since a lot of them raced and I think we wanted to bust some rust off and just enjoy what it feels like to compete, try to beat as many people as you can, and have fun doing it."
It was a picture-picture Halloween day for cross country with clear blues skies, temperatures in the low 40s, and a steady breeze.
The Chippewa women finished second in the three-team field behind Toledo (21 points) and Western Michigan (74). CMU had 44 points. The Chippewa men did not field enough runners to record a team score.
Adam Rzentkowski led a CMU sweep of the top three spots in the men's race, winning in 15:07.9. The Chippewas' Zachary Sleeman was second (15:53.3) and Owen Howard finished third (15:56.8).
Freshman Emily Paupore, running her first collegiate race, was CMU's top finisher in the women's race. She finished in 17:45.7. Toledo's Semra Karaslan won in 17:25.6.
CMU's Natalie Newcombe and Lauren Beckmann also posted top-10 finishes. Newcombe was eighth (18:24.8) and Beckman was ninth (18:29.1).
At Bowling Green next weekend, the men will run an 8K while the women will run a 6K, the same distances they will run in the Mid-American Conference Championships on Nov. 21.
"We got exactly what we needed today," Swieton said. "It's probably good that we ran a shorter distance since the turnaround (to our next race) is so quick."
The Central Michigan cross country team kicked off the COVID-delayed 2020 season on Saturday with the annual Jeff Drenth Memorial on the 5K Shepherd High School course.
It was the first intercollegiate event for any CMU team in the fall, 2020 semester. The Chippewa football team is set to open on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at home against Ohio, and the CMU cross country team will return to action with a meet at Bowling Green on Saturday, Nov. 7.
"The kids have been working super hard the past couple of months not knowing when their next opportunity to race would be," CMU Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Jenny Swieton said. "It's been about seven months since a lot of them raced and I think we wanted to bust some rust off and just enjoy what it feels like to compete, try to beat as many people as you can, and have fun doing it."
It was a picture-picture Halloween day for cross country with clear blues skies, temperatures in the low 40s, and a steady breeze.
The Chippewa women finished second in the three-team field behind Toledo (21 points) and Western Michigan (74). CMU had 44 points. The Chippewa men did not field enough runners to record a team score.
Adam Rzentkowski led a CMU sweep of the top three spots in the men's race, winning in 15:07.9. The Chippewas' Zachary Sleeman was second (15:53.3) and Owen Howard finished third (15:56.8).
Freshman Emily Paupore, running her first collegiate race, was CMU's top finisher in the women's race. She finished in 17:45.7. Toledo's Semra Karaslan won in 17:25.6.
CMU's Natalie Newcombe and Lauren Beckmann also posted top-10 finishes. Newcombe was eighth (18:24.8) and Beckman was ninth (18:29.1).
At Bowling Green next weekend, the men will run an 8K while the women will run a 6K, the same distances they will run in the Mid-American Conference Championships on Nov. 21.
"We got exactly what we needed today," Swieton said. "It's probably good that we ran a shorter distance since the turnaround (to our next race) is so quick."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
Amy Folan Podcast: Welcoming the MacKinnons
Thursday, January 16
MAC Championships Interview: Emily Paupore
Saturday, November 02
2023 MAC Women's XC Championships - Emily Paupore
Saturday, October 28
2023 MAC Cross Country Championships - Jenny Swieton
Saturday, October 28