Women's Cross Country 9/15/2017 1:58:00 PM Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Wildcat Women Run To 8th Place Finish At Stampede Invitational

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's cross country team ran to an eighth-place finish out of nine competing teams today at the Stampede Invitational hosted by University at Buffalo at Audubon Golf Course.

The event marked Daemen's first competition since opening the 2017 season with a first-place finish at the Daniel Walker Invitational on Sept. 1. Daemen accumulated 237 points in the team standings of today's race to sit behind seventh-place Le Moyne College (190 points) - the only other NCAA Division II team in the field - and ahead of Canisius College (276 points). The 6K race featured six NCAA Division I affiliates as well as McMaster University out of the top collegiate division in Canada. The University of Connecticut out of the American Athletic Conference topped the field with just 23 points after placing all five of its scorers in the top eight finishers. Meet host UB finished second with 47 points.

For the second-straight race, the Wildcats were paced by freshman Tara Pede (Schenectady, N.Y.) who finished in 46th place (out of 86 total competitors) with a time of 24:18.8. Pede was the East Coast Conference Rookie of the Week after finishing second at the 5K Daniel Walker Invitational to start the season.

Freshman Savannah Warner (Elma, N.Y.) came in as Daemen's No. 2 finisher for the second-straight race as well, placing 60th today with a time of 25:20.1. She edged classmate Mackenzie Tubbs (Elmira, N.Y.) who finished 62nd with a time of 25:36.0.

Freshman Ashley Dusza (Alden, N.Y.) and redshirt senior Katherine Robinson (Pasadena, Calif.) rounded out the Daemen scorers. Dusza placed 74th with a time of 26:27.8. Robinson, appearing in the 20th race of her career, placed 77th with a time of 26:47.6.

The Wildcats once again raced without senior Amy Trabert (Amherst, N.Y.) and redshirt junior Rebekah Zee, the team's top two returning runners. Both have missed the first two meets of the season as they continue to work their way back from injuries. Also, sophomore Shania LiVecchi (West Seneca, N.Y.), who was Daemen's third finisher in the Daniel Walker Invitational, was out of action today.

On a side note, former Daemen great and current student assistant coach Mackenzie Donahue ran as an unattached competitor in today's race; she placed 12th overall with a time of 22:07.1.

Stephanie Ward from meet host UB ran away with the individual race title, posting a time of 21:08.9, some 38 seconds faster than runner-up Mia Nahom of UConn.

Today's meet was held on the same course that will be used when Daemen hosts the NCAA Division II East Region Championship later this season (Saturday, Nov. 4), a meet which determines the Region's three national championship qualifying teams and individuals.

Daemen is back in action on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational hosted on campus by Roberts Wesleyan College.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Shania LiVecchi: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Katherine Robinson: 5' 3"; Redshirt Senior

Amy Trabert: 5' 3"; Senior

Rebekah Zee: 5' 5"; Redshirt Junior

Mackenzie Tubbs: 5' 9"; Freshman

Tara Pede: 5' 2"; Freshman

Savannah Warner: 5' 5"; Freshman

Ashley Dusza: 5' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Shania LiVecchi
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Katherine Robinson
: 5' 3"; Redshirt Senior

Amy Trabert
: 5' 3"; Senior

Rebekah Zee
: 5' 5"; Redshirt Junior

Mackenzie Tubbs
: 5' 9"; Freshman

Tara Pede
: 5' 2"; Freshman

Savannah Warner
: 5' 5"; Freshman

Ashley Dusza
: 5' 1"; Freshman