ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Joan Maritim finished first for the first time of her cross country career in the Asheville XC Challenge, completing the 5K course in 17:46.27. She led the women's team to a second overall finish in the team rankings with 73 points. The Campbell men finished 10th overall with 262 points, racing five freshmen in their first collegiate 8K.
The meet began with the men's 8K starting at 9:15 a.m. Spectators saw a different lineup for Campbell, with the top six runners missing the meet to rest and train in preparation for NCAA Pre-Nationals. Graeme Fisher led the way for the Campbell men, finishing the 8K course in 27:20.79. Billy Knabe was close behind, coming in 50th place for CU. Casper Duell, Travis Gallimore and Ka'Deem Wynn finished in 58th, 82nd and 95th, respectively.
"This was the first 8K for these five freshmen guys as we rested our top six runners this weekend," Kelly said. "I think the inexperience showed, but that is why they are racing. I'm definitely expecting a big improvement for the whole group in two weeks time."
The women's race began at 10:15 a.m., and the Campbell women posted a strong showing in Asheville. In addition to Maritim, the Camels saw top-25 finishes from their top five runners. Amina Alvarez Barkane ran a 19:27.38 to finish 11th, while Heidi Tuszkiewicz finished the course in 19:36.25 to come in 16th. Roshae Jackson and Ali Bowen had strong outings for CU, placing 21st and 24th, respectively, to round out the top five for the Camels.
"I thought our girls ran a great team race today," said head coach Michael Kelly. "Having our 2-5 girls finish within 30 seconds of each other really helped us in the team standings. Joan [Maritim] had no problem securing the individual win. She looked extremely fit and in control the entire race."
Up next, the men's and women's cross country teams will go separate ways. The women's team will head to Kernersville, N.C. for the Wake Forest Invitational on Friday, Oct. 14 while the men travel to Terre Haute, Ind. for the NCAA Pre-Nationals on Saturday, Oct. 15. For the most up-to-date information on Campbell cross country, follow @GoCamelsRun on Twitter.
