Spartan Runners Led by Ortiz at Competitive Augustana Invite
Sep 27, 2014
ROCK ISLAND, Ill – Fabiola Ortiz finished 30th and led the University of Dubuque women’s cross country team to a 21st place finish overall at the Augustana Brissman-Lundeen Invitational.
Thirty-five teams flocked to one of the fastest courses, Saukie golf course, on the college circuit. The University of Chicago won the 6k women’s team title with 115 points and took home the 8k men’s title as well. The Spartans tallied 599 points in their 21st-place finish.
Ortiz’s time of 23:16 was 10 seconds shy of her personal best that already sits in second-place all-time in UD history. Senior Brenda Nava did set a career best and represented the Spartans’ No. 2 runner with a 97th place finish and time of 24:31. A pair of underclassmen, Skylar Brooks (148th, 25:36) and Kiersten Wenthold (152nd, 25:43 personal best), were No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Finally, senior Sam Holen (172nd, 26:20) completed the Varsity scorers.
“We are working hard and I think our performance was commensurate to what we should expect with having two hard weeks of training in our legs,” assistant coach Geoff Gundlach said regarding the meet and their expectations. “We are trying to get a few key components healthy, and we need some to step up in the next month of the season.”
The Spartans will take their talents right on down the road, October 4th at 11:00 a.m., to the Dr. Tucker Invite hosted by rival Loras College.
NOTE: They were without head coach Chad Gunnelson, whose wife gave birth to their first child on Friday.
