SWANNANOA, N.C – Newberry College’s cross country teams traveled to compete in the Fighting Owls Invitational hosted by the Owls of Warren Wilson College on Oct. 6.

Michelle Ling emerged as the victor for the Wolves in the women’s 5K, followed by Hayden Francis, as the two would take the top two spots. Ling had fallen earlier in the race while trailing in third place but was able to recover to take the top scoring position for Newberry.

“It was a good job for Michelle, she fell and still got up. When she went by the mile marker she was third and moved up to take first. She ran very well, and that is her best competitive effort of the year”, said coach Peterson.

Other runners for the Wolves were Rebecca Burkhart, Claudia Cannon, Katy Crout, Diana Gutiuerrez,Alyssa White, and Brittani Barrat.

The men competed next against the Owls on an 8K course that, like the women’s layout, highlighted the mountainous terrain on Warren Wilson’s campus. This change in topography proved challenging for Newberry, which normally trains and competes on roads and smoother trails, as Warren Wilson claimed victory.

After the dual, head coach Phil Peterson stated, “It was a very tough course. They definitely had the home-field advantage because they’re used to running on trails and we tend to practice on roads, dirt roads, and grass. We probably came out a little tentative at first, which could have been the difference in one of the races.”

The men were led by Caleb Bouwkamp (fourth place) andQuinn Wilson (fifth place) who finished immediately behind the Owls. Other runners for Newberry included Carlos Hernandez, Shelton Reynolds, Jorge Hernandez, Justin Oglesby,D’Angelo Shannon, and Mike Richter. Coach Peterson reflected, “Our guys are just as competitive as they [Warren Wilson] are but we learned something from this trail today.”

Newberry will be competing next in the in the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Oct. 21 in Newton, N.C.

Michelle Ling wins women’s 5K.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_Cross-Country.jpgMichelle Ling wins women’s 5K. Courtesy photo

Staff Report