Sept. 20, 2008
NEW YORK – The University of Kentucky cross country teams both finished in the top seven of their respective races at the Meet of Champions hosted by Iona College on a Van Cortland Park course in Bronx, N.Y., Saturday.
The women’s 6K race kicked off the meet in the morning as UK ran without a full complement of its top runners. Senior Jenna Ortman sat out the race in her home state after finishing in the top 10 overall a week ago. That meant other Wildcats would have to step up in her absence. One of those was her sister Jessica Ortman who finished 15th overall in a time of 22:37. The senior’s finish led the team and claimed All-Meet of Champions honors for Ortman.
Lindsay Petri stepped up her game as she ran her best race as a Wildcat. The junior earned a career-high second-place finish on the team, crossing the finish line at 22:56 to finish 26th overall. Sophomore Katherine Peterson placed five spots behind Petri in 31st, completing the course in 23:07. The fourth Wildcat across the line was senior Andrea Halasek in the 39th slot recording a time of 23:14. Rounding out the scoring for the Cats for the second straight week was sophomore Suzanne Holt, posting a time of 24:10 in the 84th position.
Sophomore Meredith Jaworek (25:23 – 136th) and freshman Audrey Holbrook (25:59 – 163rd) wrapped up the UK women’s contingent running in the Big Apple.
UK’s team score totaled 175, good for fifth among 21 squads. Penn State won the women’s team title with 40 points.
“The overall results for our women were both disappointing and encouraging at the same time,” said UK assistant coach John Mortimer. “By not racing Jenna Ortman, one of our team’s top-three runners, our team score was expected to take a hit. But at the same time, I was encouraged by Lindsay Petri’s first race of the season. With an improved Lindsay Petri and a healthy Jenna Ortman, our top-five should be hitting on all cylinders when it really counts.”
Next week, team finishes begin counting more as NCAA points used in the calculations for choosing at-large squads for the National Championships begin accumulating.
On the men’s side, two Wildcats finished among the top 25 to lead UK to a seventh-place team finish. Sophomore Adam Henken led the team across the finish line for the first time in his young career by completing the 8K course in 25:06. Junior Jeremy Zagorski’s time of 25:18 was good for 21st overall. With their finishes, both Wildcats earned All-Meet of Champions honors.
Senior Bruce Hordusky was the third UK harrier at the finish clocking in at 25:51 in the 57th slot. With a mark of 26:13, classmate Chris Long placed 72nd. Immediately behind Long, freshman John Luttrell completed the scoring for the Wildcats in a time of 26:16 in 73rd overall.
Five other UK men completed the course led by senior Zach Wilder (26:31 – 88th) in a field of 277 men. Freshmen Colin Heenan (26:35 – 94th), Walter Luttrell (26:41 – 106th), Joe Jackson (26:58 – 127th) and junior Will Rover (27:15 – 151st) rounded out the race for the Blue and White.
The Wildcats placed seventh with 211 points, just six points out of fifth, in a field of 24 squads. Michigan won the team championship with 39 points.
“Our young men’s team was really tested on a difficult course and against tough competition today,” said Mortimer. “It is important for our men to get to work over the next month, so they are prepared for the SEC Championships.”
UK will take a two-week hiatus from competition before heading north for the Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 3.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for all of the latest cross country news.
