Cross country posts solid finishes at NCAA Pre-Nationals

October 18, 2010

Junior Lindsay Prescott and senior Ben Engelhardt both posted Top 20 finishes on Saturday to lead the Arizona State University cross country team at the NCAA Pre-National Meet, which was held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind., the site of the 2010 NCAA Champoionships later this season. The competition was the final event of the ‘regular’ season with the championship portion of the year set to start in two weeks.

As a team, the women scored 3385 points and finished 11th overall in the ‘white’ race while the men tallied 472 points and took 19th in the ‘white’ race. On the women’s side, the Top 5 teams included race winner #5 Georgetown (100), #9 Colorado (123), #17 Stanford (125), #12 Stony Brook (216) and #26 Minnesota (241) while the men’s Top 5 included #16 Oklahoma (106), #19 BYU (138), #4 Colorado (140), #8 Portland (146) and #13 NC State (177).

For the second meet in a row, Prescott and Engelhardt were the top finishers for the Sun Devils. Prescott covered the 6,000m course in 20:46.5 to finish 17th overall while Engelhardt ran the 8,000m course in 24:10.7 to place 18th. Prescott’s placement tied four other Sun Devils for the 14th-best finish in program history at the meet while Engelhardt’s showing was the ninth-best all-time in program history and made him just the 10th different ASU man to finish among the Top 20 at the NCAA Pre-National Meet.

Prescott was followed in the race by Alyssa Allison (71st, 21:33.3); Cherise McNair (87th, 21:44.9); Anna Sperry (102nd, 21:51.4) and Kate Lydy (108th, 21:54.1), who accounted for the team’s scoring. Two other women competed in the race, which were Karlee Owens (167th, 22:24.2) and Kauren Tarver (215th, 22:55.1).

Engelhardt had a pair of Top 75 finishers behind him in the race for ASU, which included Darius Terry (63rd, 24:43.7) and Nick Happe (74th, 24:49.4), while the Top 5 scorers for the team were rounded out by Dylan Hatcher (155th, 25:38.4) and Daniel Lovell (162nd, 25:43.2). Doug Smith (196th, 26:10.5) and Cameron Liston (197th, 26:14.0) also competed for the Sun Devils in the meet.

Following a week off from competition, the Sun Devils will travel to Seattle, Wash., to compete in the final Pac-10 Cross Country Championship, which will take place on Saturday, October 30. The women’s 6,000m run will start at 10 a.m. while the men’s 8,000m run starts at 11 a.m.

2010 NCAA Pre-National Meet
LaVern Gibson Championship Course - Terre Haute, Ind.
ASU Women’s Results - 6,000m ‘White’ Race
17. Lindsay Prescott - 20:46.5
71. Alyssa Allison - 21:33.3
87. Cherise McNair - 21:44.9
102. Anna Sperry - 21:51.4
108. Kate Lydy - 21:54.1
167. Karlee Owens - 22:24.2
215. Kauren Tarver - 22:55.1

Women’s Team Scoring - Top 10 (White Race)<
1. #5 Georgetown - 100
2. #9 Colorado - 123
3. #17 Stanford - 125
4. #12 Stony Brook - 216
5. #26 Minnesota - 241
6. San Francisco - 308
7. #19 Michigan - 311
8. #23 NC State - 341
9. rv Toledo - 342
10. Kansas State - 361
11. rv Arizona State - 385

ASU Men’s Results - 8,000m ‘White’ Race
18. Ben Engelhardt - 24:10.7
63. Darius Terry - 24:43.7
74. Nick Happe - 24:49.4
155. Dylan Hatcher - 25:38.3
162. Daniel Lovell - 25:43.2
196. Doug Smith - 26:10.5
197. Cameron Liston - 26:14.0

Men’s Team Scoring - Top 10 (White Race)
1. #16 Oklahoma - 106
2. #19 BYU - 138
3. #4 Colorado - 140
4. #8 Portland - 146
5. #13 NC State - 177
6. #22 Georgetown - 211
7. #28 Notre Dame - 225
8. #24 Alabama - 314
9. Columbia - 329
10. Liberty - 378
19. rv Arizona State - 472

Sun Devil Athletics