Ortiz Places Runner-Up to Lead Women's Cross Country
Sep 5, 2015
2015 Women XC Central Invite
PELLA, Iowa - Sophomore Fabiola Ortiz finishes second overall with a time of 24:30 to lead the University of Dubuque women's cross country team to a fifth-place finish at the Central Dutch Invitational on Saturday morning.
The Spartans braved the heat and racked up 114 points en route to their fifth-place finish in a field of seven teams, including a pair of Iowa Conference foes, Loras and Central. Loras took home the team title with 43 points, Grinell finished runner up with 54 points, and Central took home third after tallying 66 points.
After sitting out the first meet of the season, Ortiz's bid for a debut win fell 20 seconds short of the winner. Ortiz, a 2014 First Team All-IIAC runner, paced the Spartans as Kiersten Wenthold, who led the team in the first meet of the season at Mt. Mercy, placed 18th with a 26:25 followed. Freshman Abigail Ray (26th, 27:17), sophomore Kayla Kinateder (32nd, 27:52), and sophomore Kristin Mackenburg (36th, 28:55) rounded out the Spartan Five. Sophomore Jaclyn Roeder (37th, 28:59) and sophomore Katrina Pagel (48th, 35:03) were the final Varsity runners to cross the line for the Spartans.
"The women ran a solid race today in most likely the toughest conditions we will face all year weather-wise," said Head Coach Geoff Gundlach. "Despite the 90 degree heat, Fabiola ran right with the two-time defending Iowa Conference 10k champion for three miles and Kiersten Wenthold was two seconds away from a Top-15 performance. It's exciting to see her hard work pay off."
The Spartans hit the road as they head to the Grinnell Les Duke Invite next Saturday, September 12 at 10:00 a.m. UD will run on the Oakland Acres Golf Club.
