Women's Cross Country 9/1/2017 9:07:00 PM Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Women's Cross Country Places First In Season Opener

GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. - In their first meet of the 2017 season, the Daemen College women's cross country team ran to a first-place finish among the four competing teams at the Daniel Walker Invitational hosted by Buffalo State College at Beaver Island State Park this evening.

The Wildcats, picked third in the East Coast Conference preseason poll and currently ranked fifth in the latest NCAA Division II East Region poll, placed three runners in the top four individual finishers today, and all five of their scorers in the top 11. Daemen accumulated 29 points in the meet standings to sit firmly ahead of second-place Cuyahoga Community College. It's the third-straight season that has started with Daemen posting a first-place finish having done so at the Le Moyne Alumni Short Course Invitational in both 2015 and 2016.

Freshman Tara Pede (Schenectady, N.Y.) paced the Wildcats in the 5K race by finishing second out of 33 total competitors. Pede crossed the finish line in 20:33 tonight, behind race winner Ronni Kordrupel of meet host Buffalo State who posted a time of 19:47.

Hot on Pede's heels was classmate Savannah Warner (Elma, N.Y.) who finished third with a time of 20:35. Sophomore Shania LiVecchi (West Seneca, N.Y.) came in fourth with a time of 21:06. LiVecchi, who appeared in six races last season, had never finished higher than 14th in a collegiate race before today's performance.

Freshmen Taya Mucha (Lockport, N.Y.) and Ashley Dusza (Alden, N.Y.) rounded out the Wildcats' scorers today. Mucha put forth a top-10 effort in her collegiate debut, finishing ninth (21:43) while Dusza came in 11th (21:52).

The Wildcats also sent red-shirt senior Katherine Robinson (Pasadena, Calif.), red-shirt junior Emily Bradley (Lockport, N.Y.), red-shirt freshman Morgan Munger (Oakfield, N.Y.) and sophomore Elisia Panipinto (Ovid, N.Y.) to the starting line today. Robinson, appearing in her 19th career race, posted the highest finish of her career after coming in 13th place with a time of 21:59. The same was true for Bradley who finished 21st (23:25). Munger made her collegiate debut and placed 22nd (23:26) while Panipinto came in 26th (24:54).

What's more impressive about the Wildcats' season debut is that they raced without their top two returners. Both senior Amy Trabert (Amherst, N.Y.) and red-shirt junior Rebekah Zee (East Aurora, N.Y.) did not compete this evening.

The Wildcats return to racing on Friday, September 15 at the Stampede Invitational hosted by Division I University at Buffalo. The meet, slated for a 10 a.m. start, will be held at Audobon Golf Course, the same site of this season's NCAA Division II East Region Championship meet.

For breaking news and continuing coverage of the Daemen women's cross country team, follow @DaemenAthletics and @DaemenXC on Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

Emily Bradley: 5' 3"; Redshirt Junior

Shania LiVecchi: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Morgan Munger: 5' 4"; Redshirt Freshman

Elisia Panipinto: 5' 5"; Sophomore

Katherine Robinson: 5' 3"; Redshirt Senior

Amy Trabert: 5' 3"; Senior

Rebekah Zee: 5' 5"; Redshirt Junior

Taya Mucha: 5' 1"; Freshman

Tara Pede: 5' 2"; Freshman

Savannah Warner: 5' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Emily Bradley
: 5' 3"; Redshirt Junior

Shania LiVecchi
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Morgan Munger
: 5' 4"; Redshirt Freshman

Elisia Panipinto
: 5' 5"; Sophomore

Katherine Robinson
: 5' 3"; Redshirt Senior

Amy Trabert
: 5' 3"; Senior

Rebekah Zee
: 5' 5"; Redshirt Junior

Taya Mucha
: 5' 1"; Freshman

Tara Pede
: 5' 2"; Freshman

Savannah Warner
: 5' 5"; Freshman