Top 20 Trio Pushes #WXC to Runner-Up Finish at Mt. Dew Invitational

Saturday, September 19

Gainesville, Fla.

8:30 a.m.

University of North Florida

Mt. Dew Invitational

Photo by: Todd Drexler

Top 20 Trio Pushes #WXC to Runner-Up Finish at Mt. Dew Invitational

9/19/2015 3:26:00 PM | Women's Cross Country

By: North Florida Athletics

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Paced by a trio of Top 20 finishers including a fourth-place showing by sophomore Eden Meyer, the North Florida women's cross country squad earned a runner-up finish Saturday morning at the Mt. Dew Invitational.

The Ospreys, ranked No. 11 in the lastest USTFCCCA South Region poll, only finished behind No. 6 Florida in the 13-team field. UNF netted a score of 86 to the Gators 31, but topped regionally ranked No. 5 Florida State and No. 13 UCF.

Meyer raced at the front over the 5k course, finishing as the only non-Gator runner in the Top 5. Senior Lauren Gonzalez (18:28) and freshman Audrey Carpenter (18:30) both recorded personal bests in finishing 15th and 16th, respectively. Junior Alexis Irwin (18:42) was the team's fourth runner finishing 23rd, while junior Vanessa Philbert logged a personal best 18:55 as the squad's final scorer.

"Overall we got better this meet," said head coach Jeff Pigg. "Our hard work is paying off and our goal is to just keep working hard. Eden (Meyer) ran an extremely strong race while Lauren (Gonzalez) was solid and Audrey (Carpenter) gave us some depth near the top. Vanessa (Philbert) is a half-miler that is really improving as a cross country runner. This was a good step forward for the team."

With Florida first and UNF second, the remainder of the team standings included FGCU third with 91 followed by Jacksonville (114), Florida A&M (117), UCF (170), FAU (187), Miami (231), IPFW (238), Troy (272), Stetson (276), Florida State (284) and FIU (398).

North Florida will take two weeks off from competition before returning to competition Oct. 3 in the Greater Louisville Classic.

UNF Results
4. Eden Meyer (17:46.26)
15. Lauren Gonzalez (18:28.56) PR
16. Audrey Carpenter (18:30.61) PR
23. Alexis Irwin (18:42.05)
29. Vanessa Philbert (18:55.33) PR
43. Emily Kerns (19:13.56)
50. Grace Meyer (19:25.57) PR
53. Michelle Wolff (19:27.06)
63. Rachel Licea (19:44.61)
73. Kennadee Williams (20:06.79)
74. Kelly Hensley (20:07.11)
78. Morgan Rodriguez (20;12.97) PR
82. Courteney Zboyan (20:17.61)
106. Harley Horsley (21:08.16)