Friday, September 1
Bethlehem, Pa.
6:15 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Lehigh Invitational
Mountaineers Earn First-Place Finish at Lehigh
September 01, 2017 08:48 PM | Cross Country
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Redshirt senior Maggie Drazba led the way for the West Virginia University cross country team in the Mountaineers' first-place finish at the Lehigh Invitational in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Friday.
MEET RESULTS
Drazba earned her first career individual victory in the season-opening 6k race after posting a winning time of 20:58.55 on the Mountain Hawks' Goodman Campus Cross Country Course. The St. Marys, West Virginia, native and 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships individual qualifier was the first of a 1-2-3-4 finish for the Mountaineers.
"We had a nice run today," coach Sean Cleary said. "Abnormally cool weather for an opener allowed us to be rewarded on the stopwatch. Maggie looked very strong out front once she secured the lead. I would say she is right where she wants to be."
Redshirt senior Amy Cashin finished second with a time of 21:25.10, while redshirt freshman Sarah Wills took third place (21:34.39) in her West Virginia cross country debut. Redshirt sophomore Candace Jones finished fourth in 21:54.91.
"This was a big day for Sarah Wills," Cleary said. "This was the first race for Sarah wearing the Gold and Blue and she ran with the poise of a senior and the pride of a Morgantown native."
Redshirt freshman Antigone Archer, who also made her first career cross country appearance for the Mountaineers on Friday, placed 11th in a time of 22:33.53.
WVU scored 21 points as a team, besting Rutgers by 32 points. The Scarlet Knights placed second with a score of 53. Lehigh (62), Delaware (87) and La Salle (114) rounded out the top five in a field of seven Division I schools.
The performance allowed West Virginia to win its season-opening meet for the second consecutive season. It's also the third time in the last four years the Mountaineers have started a campaign with a first-place finish. In 2016, WVU opened the season with a win at the Texas Tech Invitational.
The team also placed first at the Lehigh Invitational in 2014.
Friday's meet served as a preview for things to come for WVU. The Mountaineers will make the return trip to Lehigh on Friday, Nov. 10 for the 2017 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.
"All in all, I'm glad we chose to open the season at this meet," Cleary said. "We should be better off for it."
Next Friday, West Virginia will travel to University Park, Pennsylvania, to compete in the PSU Spiked Shoe Invitational for the sixth consecutive season.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUCrossCountry on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
MEET RESULTS
Drazba earned her first career individual victory in the season-opening 6k race after posting a winning time of 20:58.55 on the Mountain Hawks' Goodman Campus Cross Country Course. The St. Marys, West Virginia, native and 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships individual qualifier was the first of a 1-2-3-4 finish for the Mountaineers.
"We had a nice run today," coach Sean Cleary said. "Abnormally cool weather for an opener allowed us to be rewarded on the stopwatch. Maggie looked very strong out front once she secured the lead. I would say she is right where she wants to be."
Redshirt senior Amy Cashin finished second with a time of 21:25.10, while redshirt freshman Sarah Wills took third place (21:34.39) in her West Virginia cross country debut. Redshirt sophomore Candace Jones finished fourth in 21:54.91.
"This was a big day for Sarah Wills," Cleary said. "This was the first race for Sarah wearing the Gold and Blue and she ran with the poise of a senior and the pride of a Morgantown native."
Redshirt freshman Antigone Archer, who also made her first career cross country appearance for the Mountaineers on Friday, placed 11th in a time of 22:33.53.
WVU scored 21 points as a team, besting Rutgers by 32 points. The Scarlet Knights placed second with a score of 53. Lehigh (62), Delaware (87) and La Salle (114) rounded out the top five in a field of seven Division I schools.
The performance allowed West Virginia to win its season-opening meet for the second consecutive season. It's also the third time in the last four years the Mountaineers have started a campaign with a first-place finish. In 2016, WVU opened the season with a win at the Texas Tech Invitational.
The team also placed first at the Lehigh Invitational in 2014.
Friday's meet served as a preview for things to come for WVU. The Mountaineers will make the return trip to Lehigh on Friday, Nov. 10 for the 2017 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.
"All in all, I'm glad we chose to open the season at this meet," Cleary said. "We should be better off for it."
Next Friday, West Virginia will travel to University Park, Pennsylvania, to compete in the PSU Spiked Shoe Invitational for the sixth consecutive season.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUCrossCountry on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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