AMES, Iowa – The Drake University cross country squad was in action for the first time this year on Friday with a showcase at the Cyclone Preview in Ames. The Bulldogs had solid showings on both men's and women's sides with a pair of fourth place team finishes.
"Little bit of a crazy first meet," Drake head coach Sam Read said. "The day kicked off with a lightning delay hitting right after women finished warmups, pushing everything back into the heat of the day that a [previously] updated meet schedule was trying to avoid. By the time we got to the line it was hot and we had a pretty antsy group, but once the guns went off, it proved to be a really positive day."
The women got things going first with their 5k race. True freshman
Chloe Glosser led the Bulldog pack with a top 10 finish of 17:23.4.
Amilia Condon crossed the line next in 31st position at 18:25.5 while
Breanna Burak, a top contender for the Bulldogs over the last couple seasons, was 33rd with a time of 18:28.0.
Other top 50 Bulldogs finishers include
Kayci Martensen in 38th (18:36.3),
Sophia Agan in 41st (18:37.7),
Anika Mohrhauser in 44th (18:52.1), and
Ella Brown in 46th (19:15.0).
"Chloe did a fantastic job leading the women and carrying her track momentum over to the grass with a top 10 finish in her first collegiate race," Read continued. "Amilia has already shown in these first few weeks that she has taken big steps forward to become someone we will be able to rely on this season finishing by Breanna who has always been that steady, reliable anchor for us. Right behind them we had a big pack back together with Kayci, Sophia, and Ella working off each other. But from top to bottom our team has made huge strides compared to a year ago, and while you might not see every detail on paper today, there are very clear glimpses of a bright future ahead."
Drake's men's runners were led by a top 10 twosome as
Daniel Rotich was seventh in 18:25.7 and
Brenden Heitzig took eighth with a time of 18:27.0.
The Bulldogs had several others inside the first 50 finishers including
Daghyn True in 28th (19:13.4),
Titus Kiprotich in 33rd (19:24.7),
Shane Fisher in 39th (19:35.5),
Carter Beasley in 41st (19:38.4),
Jed Wilson in 43rd (19:45.7),
Gaven Corpin in 44th (19:49.0), and
Lanse Larsen in 50th (20:02.4).
Emmanuel Otim also competed as an unattached athlete and placed 12th in 18:30.3.
"On the men's side, the delay made it so it was very hot by the time we ran, so what was meant to be a bit more controlled turned into a harder effort," Read added. "Brenden was near the front the entire race doing what he does best, and Daniel made a great push late to get right back up with him. It was awesome to see newcomers like Titus and Shane add immediate depth, while returning guys like Daghyn and Jed have made noticeable jumps since last year. We have genuine strength in numbers this season and a lot more left to give."
Drake's next event will be back in Ames on Friday, Sep. 18 for the Regional Preview.
