LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The men's and women's cross country teams traveled to Kentucky today for the Swags Louisville Classic. One of the biggest collegiate races of the season, nearly 2,000 runners competed across three divisions. Both teams lined up with more than 400 other runners.
The men raced first, taking on the 8k distance for the first time this season.
Logan Nasky finished first for the Tigers in 25:38 for 22nd. He was followed closely by
Nathaniel Trevino in 25:41 for 26th. Both runners finished just seconds off their PR.
James Rush, who finished 57th, set an almost two PR with his time of 26:04.
George Mikhael came up big in his first 8k, moving into the Tigers' top 5 and finishing 70th in 26:11.
As it has been all season for the men, today was a tale of depth, with a top-five spread of 47 seconds that the Tigers look to improve even further on as the season progresses. Of 41 schools, the men finished in fifth with an average of 26:00. Importantly, they finished well clear of SAA competition in Centre College and Rhodes College, gearing up for what is sure to be an exciting conference championship meet.
The women raced next, moving up to the 6k for the first time this season.
Gianna Keena continued her dominance, finishing 14th in a PR of 22:04. She was the fifth Division III finisher, behind four DIII runners who have competed at Cross Country Nationals. She ranks ninth in Trinity history for the 6k distance.
Emerson Voldan finished next for the Tigers, taking 42nd in 22:56. Of the top seven, five women finished with PR's: Keena,
Anne Snider in 23:09 for 57th,
Avery Hand in 23:12 for 63rd,
Cali Good in 23:20 for 72nd,
Kate Boone in 23:32 for 85th and
Annette Smith in 23:53 for 106th.
The women took fourth of 47 teams, edging out John Carroll, who is receiving votes in the national rankings poll. They also finished well clear of Centre and Rhodes, setting up a presumptive two-team battle on both sides with Berry College.
Next up, both teams will travel to Rock Island, Illinois for the Augustana Interregional Invitational on October 18 One of the most competitive and biggest meets in the Division III regular season, the Tigers will have a chance to prove themselves as a force to be reckoned with against national competition.
With 16 runners on both sides heading to Augustana, the rest of the Tigers will get the chance to preview the conference championship course at Georgetown University for the Southwestern Showdown, also on October 18.
