Cross Country | 9/20/2019 7:02:00 PM
CARY, N.C. Methodist's men's and women's cross country teams raced back into action Friday -- after almost a three-week break, including Hurricane Dorian week -- competing in the annual adidas XC Challenge, hosted by N.C. State University.
The Monarch men began the afternoon's races with a third-place finish in the Men's 5-Kilometer Red (Non-Division I) race, followed by a fourth-place Methodist finish in the Women's 5K Red (Non-D-I) event.
Danny Sodano of the N.C. State Club team captured the men's individual title with a time of 15 minutes, 59.4 seconds, and in the women's 5K it was an unattached runner, Sarah Burstein, that cross the line first, in a time of 18:17.4.
JUST THE FACTS
Event: adidas XC Challenge
Course: WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.
Men's 5K team results, top 3: 1 – N.C. State Club (15 points), 2 – Bull City Track Club (66 pts.), 3 – Methodist (69 pts.)
Men's 5K individual results, Methodist scoring runners: 9 –
Andrew Topoly (16:26.0), 12 –
Cameron Adair (16:46.3), 21 –
Jonathan Wertz (17:12.0), 23 –
Connor Ayers (17:14.1), 29 –
Baron Gossman (17:35.9)
Women's 5K team results, top 3: 1 – Bull City TC (36 pts.), 2 – N.C. State Club (38 pts.), 3 – Fayetteville State (74 pts.)
Women's 5K individual results, Methodist scoring runners: 5 –
Makayla Lawler (20:00.3), 8 –
Courtney Drumm (20:14.1), 36 –
Olivia Mague (23:20.2), 40 –
Lemlem Gebremichele (24:51.1), 41 –
Ally Mattera (25:15.2)
RACE NOTES
- Methodist's men were the highest placing collegiate-level team in their event, outrunning fourth-place Shaw University as well as USA South Athletic Conference foe William Peace University (sixth place).
- Topoly and Adair formed a potent 1-2 punch for the Monarchs, crossing the finish just 20 seconds apart.
- Wertz and Ayers were even closer, with Wertz edging out Ayers by a mere two seconds.
- Not to be outdone, the duo of Lawler and Drumm rocketed into the top 10, with just a 14-second gap between the junior and freshman, respectively.
- Mague put a 31-second cushion between herself and teammate Gebremichele, who in turn, pushed on ahead of Mattera with a 24-second advantage.
UP NEXT
The Methodist squads travel to Rocky Mount, N.C., for Saturday morning's N.C. Wesleyan (College) XC Classic. Most of the same Monarch runners from Friday will participate in Rocky Mount -- but as more of a controlled workout in helping to pace the rest of the roster that will be racing for the first time on the weekend.
