MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Western Michigan’s cross country team ran to an eighth-place finish at the 2007 Mid-American Conference Championships, hosted by Central Michigan University this afternoon. For the fifth time in six meets this season, freshman Samantha Draney was the Broncos’ top finisher, placing 25th overall with a time of 18:34.4. Ohio University claimed the title for the second consecutive year with a team score of 56, edging Akron by a slim two-point margin.
Miami finished third with 77 points and boasted the individual champion in Laura Neufarth, who broke the tape at 17:35.2. Toledo followed in fourth place with a team score of 89, while Ball State’s total of 135 points was good for fifth. The host Chippewas compiled a score of 174 to finish sixth. Bowling Green placed seventh with a team score of 218, just six points ahead of WMU in eighth. Kent State (ninth place, 230 points), Buffalo (10th, 232), Eastern Michigan (11th, 286) and Northern Illinois (12th, 289) rounded out the field.
Jennifer Roberts finished second amongst the Broncos and 44th overall, slipping in just under the 19:00 minute mark with a time of 18:56.2. Senior Kristi Powers followed in 51st place, clocking in at 19:05.9, while freshman Jenna Matthews was just two spots behind in 53rd, crossing the line at 19:10.7.
Freshman Adrian Dent ran a time of 19:20.0 to place 59th, while sophomore Danielle Hockstra was 77th with a 19:53.4. Freshman Michelle Teague rounded out the scoring runners for Western Michigan, finishing 82nd with a 20:04.2.
Senior Michele Wittbrodt and sophomore Danielle Lewis also competed at the MAC Championships for WMU, finishing 90th and 98th respectively with times of 20:22.4 and 20:44.0.
Next on the slate for the Broncos is the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Saturday, Nov. 10, hosted by Indiana University in Bloomington.
Courtesy: Zolton Cohen
