Fast Pack Pushes #WXC to Runner-Up at Atlantic Sun Championship

Saturday, November 1

DeLand, Fla.

8:30 a.m.

University of North Florida

Atlantic Sun Championship

Photo by: ASUN Photos

Fast Pack Pushes #WXC to Runner-Up at Atlantic Sun Championship

11/1/2014 6:09:00 PM | Women's Cross Country

By: North Florida Athletics

Final Results (pdf)

DeBARY, Fla. -- With five runners among the Top 10 finishers, the North Florida women's cross country team finished second at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship meet on Saturday morning.

"I thought the women ran very well and kept a solid pack near the front," said head coach Jeff Pigg. "It was their best performance of the season. Lipscomb is a very good team. We brought our 'A' game and they beat us, but we can live with that. I am very proud of their effort and look forward to running at NCAA Regionals in two weeks."

The Ospreys concluded the 5k race with a total of 34 points, as the squad's top five finishing times were separated by just 12 seconds. It marked the sixth consecutive season that UNF has finished in the top three and was the program's fourth runner-up showing in 10 years of competing in the event. North Florida won the A-Sun title in 2010, but today's race marked the best team score in program history at the event.

Freshman standout Eden Meyer, who earned first-team All-Conference and All-Freshman honors, was the squad's top performer finishing fourth overall in a time of 17:45.51, her second fastest time of the season. Senior Alessandra Valdes, another first-team All-Conference honoree, improved her personal best by nearly 20 seconds en route to finishing fifth in 17:46.30.

"Eden continued a fantastic freshman campaign by leading the women to a second place finish," added Pigg. "She was followed closely by Alessandra, who ran a very good race."

Seniors Elle Baker and Andelka Tancic finished seventh and eighth in times of 17:46.57 and 17:53.45, respectively, while junior Alexis Irwin was 10th in 17:57.10. Baker and Irwin both posted new personal bests and the trio all earned All-Conference accolades.

"We are very proud of Elle earning All-Conference in her last A-Sun meet," Pigg continued. "Andelka recovered from mid-season sickness to run very strong today, while Alexis ran the best cross country race of her career."

Sophomore Lauren Gonzalez bettered her personal record by 20 seconds, running a time of 18:29.84 to finish 17th. All-Freshman team honoree, Dagmar Olsen finished 20th in a personal best 18:34.02, while senior Alyssa Brandt (18:54.83) and freshman Michelle Wolff (18:55.52) rounded out the Osprey lineup finished 28th and 29th, respectively.

Lipscomb captured the team championship with a score of 21 points, boasting the top three individual finishers. UNF was second followed by Florida Gulf Coast (112), Kennesaw State (114), Jacksonville (157), Stetson (168), Northern Kentucky (182) and USC Upstate (190). The Bisons Madelin Talbert posted a time of 17:35.95 as the top individual finisher.

With their strong showing, the Ospreys also earned a point in the River City Rumble competition after finishing ahead of rival Jacksonville.

North Florida next runs at the NCAA South Regional on Nov. 14 in Tallahassee, Fla.