September 9, 2006 - 6th of 19 at Fordham Invitational
September 9, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Cross Country
Rider at Fordham Invitational
Men 6th of 19, Women 7th of 18
BRONX, NY— Heat and humidity. They’re fine when you are sitting poolside with a cool drink, or making one last visit to the beach before summer ends. If you are about to run three or five miles over a hilly terrain, however, heat and humidity are not the conditions you are hoping for.
The Broncs began the 2006 cross country season in the Bronx, competing at the Fordham Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park, with the men placing sixth of 19 teams and the women finishing seventh of 18 teams.
“We did pretty good today,” said Rider coach Bob Hamer. “It was hot and humid, so the times were a bit slower than normal.”
For the Rider men, junior John Smith (Cliffwood Beach/Matawan) placed 17th overall among the 180 runners in a time of 26:56 on the 5.0 mile course. “I was a little tired,” said Smith, who has finished first among Broncs in every cross country race he has run in his career. “It was hot. My time wasn’t what I wanted.”
For the Rider women, sophomore Andrea Campbell (Somers Point/Mainland Regional) placed 24th among the 159 runners in a time of 20:24 on the 3.1 mile course. “This was a really good finish for our women,” Hamer said. “Andrea ran a really nice race. She performed well on the hills, and it showed that she really did her work over the summer and I was really pleased with her effort.”
“I was satisfied with my performance, considering the heat and the humidity,” Campbell said, who earned All-MAAC honors last year as a freshman. “I was a little nervous at first when I realized how hot it was.”
“I thought Smith ran a decent race,” said Hamer. “He got out well, had a tough middle of the race, but he regrouped well over the final two miles and finished well. This was a good start for the team.”
“I went out a little fast the first mile or so and the race got away from me and I never really caught back up,” said Smith, who earned All-MAAC honors last fall. “Overall it was a good race. There was a pretty good talent level here. It was a fair effort for the first race of the season. Hopefully when we come back here I’ll do much better.”
The Broncs return to Van Cortlandt for the MAAC Championships October 27.
“The race went pretty well today,” said Campbell. “The course is hilly, but I did a lot of training on hills during the summer so I felt pretty good. Hopefully by the time we get back to this course at the MAACs I’ll be able to race a little better.”
Also for the Rider women, freshman Kelsey Kohler (Southampton, PA/St. Basil’s) placed second for Rider and 38th overall in 20:47, sophomore Kelly Wojciehowski (Fair haven/Rumson Fair haven) was 56th over all and third for the Broncs in 21:24, freshman Lauren Lester (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) was 61st overall and fourth for Rider in 21:42, and sophomore Megan Crowe (Philadelphia, PA/St. Hubert’s) was fifth for Rider and 74th overall in 22:00.
For the Rider men, junior Jeff Stead (Fairless Hills, PA/Pennsbury) placed second for Rider, 26th overall, in 27:24, freshman Bob McCullough (Plymouth Meeting, PA/LaSalle) was 49th overall and third among Broncs in 28:06, sophomore Matt Dahl (West Keansburg/Raritan) was fourth among Broncs and 81st overall in 29:05, and freshman Phil Capaldi (Woxsall, PA/Souderton) was 83rd overall and fifth for Rider in 29:01.
The Rider women finished with 216 points, ahead of East Stroudsburg (228). The leaders were
The Bronc Invitational, scheduled for September 16, has been cancelled. The next Rider cross country meet will be at Lehigh’s Paul Short Invitational September 29.
Men’s Team Standings: Navy 36, Pennsylvania 46, Quinnipiac 110, East Stroudsburg 149, Albany 161, Rider 209, Rutgers 234, Temple 259, Harvard 261, NYIT 293, St. Francis-PA 302, Fordham 312, Fairleigh Dickinson 351, Monmouth 358, St. Francis NY 419, Seton Hall 427, Fairfield 457, St. Bonaventure 479, Pace 564
Women’s Team Standings: Pennsylvania 37, St. Francis 61, Quinnipiac 65, Albany 112, Harvard 150, and Monmouth 182, Rider 216, East Stroudsburg 228, Seton Hall 266, Georgia College 316, Fordham 332, Fairfield 366, St. Francis-NY 394, Felician 402, Temple 407, Pace 441, St. Bonaventure 454, Fairleigh Dickinson 556.
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