Saturday, October 3, 2015

FAMU Lady Rattlers Take Second at FSU Invitational

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  – This cross country race really came down to the wire. It doesn’t come any closer than the performance put on by the Jacksonville Dolphins and FAMU Lady Rattlers. In a race of over 20 teams and 228 athletes, the Dolphins edged the Lady Rattlers by three points to take first place in the Florida State University Cross Country Invitational today at Apalachee Regional Park.

The three-time defending MEAC champions accomplished this feat without one of their top runners. Effiey Kosgei, FAMU’s No.3 slot runner, was absent from the race in order to attend to nursing school responsibilities. FAMu head coach Darlene Moore would loved to have the win, but is satisfied with the outcome under the circumstances. “I love to win in track, don’t get me wrong, but I love for our ladies to win in the classroom as well. I am just as happy on graduation day as I am on championship day. When I bring in an athlete, I make a commitment that if they do what we ask, they will get a degree, and I hold to my part of that at all costs,” Moore said.

USF runner Catherine Blaney, blazed to a first place finish at 17:54.80, followed by UCF’s Holly Wooley who came in at 18:02.90.

FAMU’s Cynthia Chelelgo has hit another gear as of late and took third place in 18:05.00. Chelelgo, fresh off her top finish at the Bobby Lang Invitational last week, motored her way to the finish in a dead sprint. Moore attributed it to her being healthy for virtually her first time in four years.

“Cynthia has had nagging injuries in her time here. What we are seeing now is the true athlete in her. This is what we expected from her and we couldn’t be more pleased for her that she is finally able to perform like the top athlete she is,” Moore said.

Judith Kibii was the second Rattler to finish. She took eighth place overall, finishing in 18:24.5. QuanDra Shanks ran a speedy race, taking 12th overall in 18:56.9. Fridah Limo rounded out the quartet of Lady Rattlers who finished in the Top 20, with a 14th place finish 19:00.50.

Emmaculate Kiplagat finished 29th in 19:27.0, rounding out the scoring for the Lady Rattlers. Nicole Kvitkauskas placed 40th in 19:53.80. Caroline Kiplagat took 48th place in 20:06.50. April Polite placed 61st, finishing in 20:39.40. Ddestiny Johnson rounded out the Rattler squad, finishing in 21:24.6.

The Lady Rattlers will take next weekend off to prepare for the 2015 MEAC Cross Country Championships. “We won’t run in a meet next week. What we’ll do is prepare ourselves with miles. We’ll also train on the hilly surfaces of Tallahassee. Today’s course was the most challenging course we’ve faced. It will allow us to fare well as we run on the flat surfaces of Delaware in the MEAC championship,” Moore said.



FSU Cross Country Invitational Results

D1 Results 5000 Run                                                              
   1 Jacksonville                 63    4    9   10   16   24   42               
      Total Time:  1:33:37.80                                                    
         Average:    18:43.56                                                    
   2 Florida A&M                  66    3    8   12   14   29   40   47          
      Total Time:  1:33:53.90                                                    
         Average:    18:46.78                                                    
   3 South Florida                81    1    6    7   23   44   45   55          
      Total Time:  1:33:30.30                                                    
         Average:    18:42.06                                                    
   4 Ucf                          94    2   11   13   22   46   53   57          
      Total Time:  1:34:58.70                                                    
         Average:    18:59.74                                                    
   5 Florida Atlantic            114   15   17   19   31   32   35   52          
      Total Time:  1:36:22.40                                                    
         Average:    19:16.48                                                    
   6 Florida State               124   18   21   25   26   34   37   41          
      Total Time:  1:36:35.10                                                    
         Average:    19:19.02                                                    
   7 Stetson                     180   27   33   38   39   43   50   51          
      Total Time:  1:38:35.80                                                    
         Average:    19:43.16                                                    
   8 Florida                     189   20   28   36   49   56   59   60          
      Total Time:  1:39:09.90                                                    
         Average:    19:49.98                                                    
   9 Miami                       195    5   30   48   54   58   61               
      Total Time:  1:39:10.30                                                    
         Average:    19:50.06                                                    
Non-D1 Results 5000 Run                                                          
   1 Embry-Riddle                 57    3    4   10   19   21   24   46          
      Total Time:  1:37:57.70                                                    
         Average:    19:35.54                                                    
   2 Alabama-Huntsville           78    1   13   17   22   25   31   41          
      Total Time:  1:38:59.10                                                    
         Average:    19:47.82                                                    
   3 Flagler                      84    7   11   18   20   28   53               
      Total Time:  1:39:53.70                                                    
         Average:    19:58.74                                                    
   4 Southeastern U.             106    2    6    9   40   49   52   54          
      Total Time:  1:39:38.90                                                    
         Average:    19:55.78                                                    
   5 Florida Tech                123    5   23   27   29   39   48   50          
      Total Time:  1:40:43.60                                                    
         Average:    20:08.72                                                    
   6 Florida Southern            154   16   30   35   36   37   38   43          
      Total Time:  1:42:16.20                                                    
         Average:    20:27.24                                                    
   7 West Florida                172   14   26   32   44   56   57   59          
      Total Time:  1:43:08.90                                                    
         Average:    20:37.78                                                    
   8 Mobile                      205   12   42   45   51   55   64   69          
      Total Time:  1:44:09.70                                                    
         Average:    20:49.94                                                    
   9 Saint Leo                   253    8   47   62   66   70   72   74          
      Total Time:  1:48:13.20                                                    
         Average:    21:38.64                                                    
  10 Ave Maria                   283   33   58   61   63   68   75   76          
      Total Time:  1:49:14.30                                                    
         Average:    21:50.86                                                    
  11 Florida College             286   15   60   65   67   79   81               
      Total Time:  1:51:21.30                                                    
         Average:    22:16.26                                                    
  12 Webber                      333   34   71   73   77   78   80               
      Total Time:  1:56:24.60                                                    
         Average:    23:16.92                                                    

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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