Saturday, October 28
Kenosha, Wis.
11:00 AM
Creighton University
vs
BIG EAST Championship
Marcos Gonzalez
Photo by: Jay Slagle
Men Take Fifth; Women 8th at BIG EAST Cross Country Championship
10/28/2023 1:18:00 PM | Men's Cross Country / Track, Women's Cross Country / Track
Bluejay men tie best finish ever at the league championship
KENOSHA, Wis. -- The Creighton men's cross country program took fifth to match its best finish ever at the 2023 BIG EAST Cross Country Championships, Presented by JEEP. The Creighton women's cross country team placed eighth in the competition, matching last year's finish.
Butler won the 8K men's race with 36 points, just ahead of Villanova (42), Georgetown (71) and Providence (75). Creighton's 168 points were good for fifth place, tying its 2014 finish, and was four points ahead of DePaul (172) and 18 ahead of Xavier (186). Marquette (234) and Seton Hall (280) rounded out the field of nine teams.
Marcos Gonzalez led the Bluejay men for the fourth time in as many races this fall, placing 30th with a time of 26:32.1. Ryan Montera was close behind in 33rd place with a time of 26:46.1 and freshmen Evan Kraus (39th; 26:57.7) and Tommy Murray (41st; 27:03.5) rounded out CU's lead pack. Also contributing to CU's team score was Brian Hiltebrand (44th; 27:13.2).
Villanova's Liam Murphy won the men's race in a time of 24:46.33, which was 11 seconds better than teammate Haftu Strintzos (24:57.94). Butler owned the next three runners and had five runners finish in the top 15 to earn the team title. The men's race featured 89 competitors.
"I'm excited about the improvement for the men's team," said Creighton coach Chris Gannon. "We didn't have our best day but got the result we were looking for. Eli (Moore) and Ryan (Montera) stepped up and ran very well."
Danielle Hotalling paced the Creighton women for the 25th time in 25 collegiate cross country races, taking 24th in a time of 21:35.2. Her time was a full minute faster than her last trip to Wayne Dannehl Cross Country Course for the 2019 BIG EAST Championships, when she placed 18th to earn Second Team All-BIG EAST honors.
Morgan Koca took 46th in a time of 22:30.6, and outraced freshman teammate Taylor Rorick (62nd; 23:16.5). Carly Manchester (64th; 23:21.7) and Katherine Soule (65th; 23:23.1) finished back-to-back to round out the Bluejay scoring contingent.
"The ladies finished 28 points back of where we wanted to be," added Gannon. "Danielle ran gutsy and competed well with some of the best runners in the country. Our ladies pack is coming together and we're looking forward to getting back out there again in two weeks."
Georgetown had five women finish in the top 10 to win the women's race with 28 points, outdistancing Providence (56), Villanova (80) and Connecticut (89). Creighton's 228 points sandwiched it between seventh-place Xavier (200) and ninth-place St. John's (275) in the 11-team field. Georgetown's Chloe Scrimgeour crossed the tape in 19:59.72 to win the 99-person race, just ahead of Providence's Kimberley May (20:06.50) and Georgetown teammate Melissa Riggins (20:19.91).
The Bluejays return to the course on Nov. 10 at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Stillwater, Okla.
Butler won the 8K men's race with 36 points, just ahead of Villanova (42), Georgetown (71) and Providence (75). Creighton's 168 points were good for fifth place, tying its 2014 finish, and was four points ahead of DePaul (172) and 18 ahead of Xavier (186). Marquette (234) and Seton Hall (280) rounded out the field of nine teams.
Marcos Gonzalez led the Bluejay men for the fourth time in as many races this fall, placing 30th with a time of 26:32.1. Ryan Montera was close behind in 33rd place with a time of 26:46.1 and freshmen Evan Kraus (39th; 26:57.7) and Tommy Murray (41st; 27:03.5) rounded out CU's lead pack. Also contributing to CU's team score was Brian Hiltebrand (44th; 27:13.2).
Villanova's Liam Murphy won the men's race in a time of 24:46.33, which was 11 seconds better than teammate Haftu Strintzos (24:57.94). Butler owned the next three runners and had five runners finish in the top 15 to earn the team title. The men's race featured 89 competitors.
"I'm excited about the improvement for the men's team," said Creighton coach Chris Gannon. "We didn't have our best day but got the result we were looking for. Eli (Moore) and Ryan (Montera) stepped up and ran very well."
Danielle Hotalling paced the Creighton women for the 25th time in 25 collegiate cross country races, taking 24th in a time of 21:35.2. Her time was a full minute faster than her last trip to Wayne Dannehl Cross Country Course for the 2019 BIG EAST Championships, when she placed 18th to earn Second Team All-BIG EAST honors.
Morgan Koca took 46th in a time of 22:30.6, and outraced freshman teammate Taylor Rorick (62nd; 23:16.5). Carly Manchester (64th; 23:21.7) and Katherine Soule (65th; 23:23.1) finished back-to-back to round out the Bluejay scoring contingent.
"The ladies finished 28 points back of where we wanted to be," added Gannon. "Danielle ran gutsy and competed well with some of the best runners in the country. Our ladies pack is coming together and we're looking forward to getting back out there again in two weeks."
Georgetown had five women finish in the top 10 to win the women's race with 28 points, outdistancing Providence (56), Villanova (80) and Connecticut (89). Creighton's 228 points sandwiched it between seventh-place Xavier (200) and ninth-place St. John's (275) in the 11-team field. Georgetown's Chloe Scrimgeour crossed the tape in 19:59.72 to win the 99-person race, just ahead of Providence's Kimberley May (20:06.50) and Georgetown teammate Melissa Riggins (20:19.91).
The Bluejays return to the course on Nov. 10 at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Stillwater, Okla.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country / Track
/ Men's Cross Country / Track
/ Women's Cross Country / Track
/ Women's Cross Country / Track
/ Men's Cross Country / Track
/ Women's Cross Country / Track
/ Men's Cross Country / Track
/ Men's Cross Country / Track
/ Women's Cross Country / Track
/ Women's Cross Country / Track
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