It was a big day Saturday for women’s cross country, taking first at the Bill Fritz Invitational.

It was also a day of opportunity for the squad, with seven of Rowan’s top runners sitting out, leaving a group of less seen athletes to answer the bell.

“They did very good, due to the fact that pressure was on them,” said head coach, Ringo Adamson. “Consider the fact that your top seven runners weren’t in the race; therefore it forces you to pick up pace … you have no choice but to.”

Pick up the pace they did.

In total, five Profs finished in the top 10.

Sophomore Carley Tool was the first Prof to cross the line, finishing 2nd overall with a time of 24:56.96.

Sophomore Lyndsay Boyd followed second in 24:58.14. 

Senior Jennie Sabol finished 5th followed by sophomore Lindsey Hofschneider in 6th.

“I [started the second group of runners] to get that kind of result, so they know where they are and force them to step up their game,” Adamson said.

Tool further elaborated Adamson’s comments, explaining how the competition in this race forced her to step her game up en route to a high finish.

“I was thinking [during the race] ‘Man it would be easy to give up,’ and then I saw Lindsay Boyd right behind me,” Tool said. “Towards the finish Lindsay Boyd said, ‘Come on let’s just finish this out,’ and that just really motivated me to start going.”

The opportunity was there and the Brown and Gold really went for it this weekend, some earning a place in the upcoming Paul Short Run at Lehigh University.

“We’re putting 10 in that varsity race at Lehigh,” Adamson said. “We know who those seven are [that are starting], this race was to find the next three; it’s a great sport because you get to choose your destiny.”

The Paul Short run will be at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania next Saturday, Oct 5.

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