MANSFIELD, Pa. – Junior
Christie Turak became the first Laker to qualify for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships as she led the Mercyhurst College women’s cross country team at the NCAA Atlantic Regional on Saturday morning in Mansfield, Pa.
Turak, a native of Erie, Pa., torched the 6K-course in a fifth-place, school-record time of 20:58, breaking her previous mark of 21:53 set at the SRU Invitational earlier this season. The time also earned her the title of all-region.
Overall, the Lakers finished in 17th place out 22 schools with 393 points. Shippensburg, led by PSAC Runner of the Year Neeley Spence, claimed first with 86 points and four runners in the top-25. Kutztown took second with 100 points while Bloomsburg (120), Slippery Rock (135) and Millersville (136) rounded out the top-5.
Six other runners helped Mercyhurst keep its score down to beat out the likes of Seton Hill, Gannon, Concord, Davis & Elkins and Shaw. Junior
Jennifer Mieczkowski finished in 67th place with a time of 23:51, followed by freshman
Rebecca Roberts in 102nd (25:05), junior
Cherie Jackson in 107th (25:16), senior
Amanda Ehrbar in 112th (25:29), freshman
Jennifer Hoobler in 124th (26:06) and senior
Jessica Pachlhofer in 133rd (26:58).
The 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships are slated for Saturday, Nov. 21 on the campus of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Ind.