Racing their second meet in seven days, the Southwestern Spartan cross country team experienced success at the BCU Invite at Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve in McCook Lake, SD. Competing on a cool, sunny morning, the Spartan women placed 14th out of 15 full teams.
Freshman Kimberly Zepeda (Rockford, IL) broke the school record for 5,000m cross country by running a personal record of 19:07, which earned her 40th place overall. Zepeda's time eclipsed the former record of 20:00 run by Spartan standout Kalli McCann in 2012. Freshman Alyssa Proffitt (Afton) set a personal record with a 98th place time of 21:09. Proffitt's time moved her into third on Southwestern's all-time list for 5,000m cross country. Freshmen Odette Muziranenge (West Des Moines), Madison Mace (Elliott), and Jasmine Forward (Red Oak) all set personal records with their 23:29, 23:41, and 25:03 times, respectively.
"We knew it was a matter of time before Kimberly Zepeda broke the school record, as her training has suggested that her fitness was at a school record level," said Spartan Head Coach Nick Ekel. "For Kimberly to break the record by 53 seconds, and set a personal best time by 1:04 is a testament to her courage and her fitness level." Ekel continued, "Our women's team is confident and focused right now. We should be in for an exciting last few weeks as we enter the championship season."
The Southwestern men's team placed ninth out of 14 full teams in the 8,000m competition. The men were paced by Nate Hoyt (Shenandoah) with his 25th place finish in a personal best time of 26:42. Hoyt's mark surpassed Peter Rotich's 26:46 from 2008 to move to the number three on Southwestern's all-time list for 8,000m cross country. Freshman Jacob Bolinger (Clearfield) raced to a time of 27:42 and a 66th place finish. Jalen Two Leggins (Hardin, MT) set a personal record with his 27:48, which placed him 71st. Two Leggins' time moved him into 10th place on Southwestern's all-time list for 8,000m cross country. Kevin Dietrich (Port Neches, TX) also set a personal record with a time of 28:08, which was good for 80th place. Gabe Esser (Winterset) concluded the scoring with his 98th place finish.
"We competed well as a team today, as all men were at or near their lifetime best times for the distance," remarked Ekel. "Last week, our top five runners averaged 28:15 and today we averaged 27:49, which speaks to the competitive focus our guys brought to today."
The Spartans will be idle this coming weekend, as they prepare for the Mt. Marty Invitational on October 22. Follow Spartan track & field and cross country on Twitter at @SWCC_Track_XC.
Men's Results: 9 of 14
Nate Hoyt 26:42 (25th place)
Jacob Bolinger27:42 (66th place)
Jalen Two Leggins 27:48 (71st place)
Kevin Dietrich 28:08 (80th place)
Gabe Esser 28:46 (98th place)
Chance WebsterChance Webster 29:09 (111th Place)
Collin Maag 32:05 (143rd place)
Travis Purdy 36:48 (157th place)
Women's Results: 14 of 15
Kimberly Zepeda 19:07 (40th place)
Alyssa Proffitt 21:09 (98th place)
Odette Muziranenge 23:29 (148th place)
Madison Mace 23:41 (152nd place)
Jasmine Forward 25:03 (160th place)