Augsburg Invitational Results
The Yellowjacket women's cross country team hit the course Saturday morning, taking on a strong field at the Augsburg University Invitational in Minneapolis. The race marked the first full test of the year for the Yellowjackets, as their season opener, the Dan Conway Classic a week ago, was shorter than the standard six-kilometer course.
And the longer course worked for the Yellowjackets on this day, as they cracked the top 20 of the strong field and came home with an 18th place finish and 542 points. The University of Minnesota Duluth claimed the women's title with a score of 88. UW-La Crosse was the top finisher among N.C.A.A. Division III schools, placing second overall with 101 points.
The field was forced to battle through difficult conditions throughout the day, including relentless heat and a very technical running course.
Leading the way for the Yellowjackets against the fierce competition was the duo of
Kate Schwerman (Waukesha, Wis./West) and
Nicole Koski (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon). Schwerman, who competed on the Yellowjacket track and field team last season but is a newcomer to cross country, posted her best career time. The same can be said for Koski, who is just beginning her collegiate career. The two were just over 10 seconds apart for the day, finishing with times of 27:36.2 and 27:46.7 respectively.
Ali Manthey (Zimmerman, Minn./Elk River) was right behind the top two finishers for the Yellowjackets, crossing the line with a time of 28:10.0.
Haruka Hamanaka (Izumisano, Japan/Kishiwada) also finished the day with a new personal record.
Sam Slattery of UW-Eau Claire was the individual women's champion, coming in with a time of 23:32.7.
Up Next: The Yellowjackets will compete in the Wartburg College Dan Houston Invitational, Saturday, September 29 in Waverly, Iowa.
