Oct. 2, 2010
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In the season’s toughest test to date, freshman Taylor Wendler led the Kentucky women’s cross country team to its third consecutive top-10 finish at the Greater Louisville Invitational on Saturday. The men’s team finished 19th behind sophomore Luis Orta’s top-25 performance.
A young group of UK female runners, consisting of three freshmen, two sophomores and one senior, made their way through an extremely fast 5K course at E.P. ‘Tom’ Sawyer Park, finishing ninth out of 35 teams, in the gold race. Wendler, the top finisher for the Wildcats, completed the course in a personal-best time of 17:43.11 to finish 30th among a season-high 302 entrants. Wendler cut more than 14 seconds off her previous-best mark set at the San Francisco Invitational.
Continuing the theme of youth, freshman Anna Bostrom finished second on the team and 48th overall with a personal-best time of 17:59.18 while sophomore Cally Macumber came in a few spots behind in 73rd with a time of 18:18.94. Suzanne Holt put together the best race of her career with a personal-best time of 18:28.18 to finish fourth for the Cats and 89th overall. Just over a second behind Holt was freshman Allison Peare with a time of 18:29.83 to finish 93rd, rounding out the top-five counted scores for UK. Sophomore Hiruni Wijayaratne crossed the finish line in 18:44.44 finishing 127th.
Luis Orta finished 25th completing the men’s 8K course in 24:18.60 to lead Kentucky to a 19th place finish. Orta improved his time from this event last year by 12 seconds as he finished first on the team for the third time this season and his sixth time in eight career meets. Freshman Stacey Eden competed well in a very physical race, navigating his way through a pile up on his way to a 96th place finish in 25:07.70. Colin Heenan and Josh Nadzam were the next to cross the line finishing in 25:09.66 and 25:29.51, respectively. Matt Wagner was just behind finishing in a time of 26:40.43.
The men’s and women’s cross country teams will be back in action two weeks from today, Oct. 15th, in Boone, N.C., at the Blue Ridge Open.
Follow all UK cross country news and updates at UKathletics.com.
Women’s Individual Results (Gold Race)
30. Taylor Wendler – 17:43.11
48. Anna Bostrom – 17:59.18
73. Cally Macumber – 18:18.94
89. Suzzane Holt – 18:28.18
93. Allison Peare – 18:29.83
127. Hiruni Wijayaratne – 18:44.44
Men’s Individual Results (Gold Race)
25. Luis Orta – 24:18.60
96. Stacey Eden – 25:07.70
100. Colin Heenan – 25:09.66
139. Josh Nadzam – 25:29.51
266. Matt Wagner – 26:40.43
