HOUGHTON, N.Y. -- The Daemen University women's cross country team has run in four different race distances through the first four meets of the season, and they've won each and every meet. The Wildcats raced to their fourth consecutive first place team win in the Highlander Invitational 6K on Saturday morning.
Five Daemen runners finished in the top-10 at the Highlander Invitational today.
Marcy Colca (Getzville, N.Y.) continues to dominate in her sophomore season, pacing the field of 95 to run to her fourth straight victory, posting a time of 22:57.5 over the 6K race. Graduate student
Kassandra Nolet (Fort Erie, Ont.) finished 2.8 seconds behind Colca with a second-place time of 23:00.3.
Freshman
Patsy Oberholzer (Greece, N.Y.) finished fourth overall, posting a time of 23:25.2 in her first collegiate 6K race. Senior
Courtney Merrill (Speedway, Ind.) crossed the finish line seven seconds behind Oberholzer, placing sixth with a time of 23:32.7. Junior
Camryn Bailey (Geneva, N.Y.) rounded out the Daemen scoring, placing ninth overall with a time of 23:51.3.
The Wildcats continue to make program history with their fourth straight team win. Placing five runners in the top ten, Daemen posted a total of 22 points to take home the team title. St. John Fisher placed two runners in the top ten, finishing second with 59 points. Meet host Houghton placed three runners in the top 10 to finish third (80), Cortland (95) placed fourth, and RIT (136) finished fifth. Brockport (162), Alfred (194), Alfred State (258) and Keuka (267) rounded out the field.
Daemen tied their 2021 first-place finishes with their fourth victory today.
The Wildcats return to Buffalo next weekend where they will run in the Canisius Alumni Classic at Buffalo's Delaware Park on Saturday, October 15.
FULL RESULTS
HIGHLIGHTS
- Colca continues to make Daemen program history (NCAA Division II era) with her four straight victories. She placed first overall in the Frank Dillon Memorial Invitational 4K race to open up the season, ran a personal-best 5K time (18:40.8) to finish first in the Daemen Alumni Invitational on Sept. 10, and topped the field in her first collegiate 8K cross country race at the Equality Invitational on Sept. 25.
- Nolet competed in the 23rd race of her career. Her time of 23:00.3 marks her third-fastest 6K. Nolet placed second overall for the third time this season. She finished second behind Colca in the Frank Dillon Memorial (4K) in the season opener, second overall in the Daemen Alumni Invitational, and second overall in today's race.
- Oberholzer tied her career-high finish, placing fourth overall for the second time this season (she placed fourth in the Frank Dillon Memorial Invitational 4K).
- Merrill's time of 23:32.7 marks her second-highest career 6K, and 10 seconds faster than her 6K time at the 2021 NCAA Div. II East Region Championship. Merrill set her 6K PR at the 2021 Paul Short Run (23:18.3).
- Bailey set a personal record 6K time with her 23:51.3. Her previous PR was 24:12.6 at the 2021 East Regionals.
- Redshirt senior Hannah Thomas (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) earned a 12th place finish with a time of 24:12.4 for a personal best 6K. She shaved 42 seconds off her previous 6K PR (24:54.3), set at the 2021 East Regionals.
- Sophomore Emma Cain (Lockport, N.Y.) finished 14th overall, four seconds behind Thomas with a time of 24:16.7.
- Junior Emma Grzebinski (West Seneca, N.Y.) competed in her first collegiate 6K, posting a time of 25:01.8 to finish 31st overall.
- Freshman Madeline Straub (Olean, N.Y.) ran the first 6K of her collegiate career, finishing eight seconds behind Grzebinski with a 34th place time of 25:09.3.
- Junior Haley Hinds (Blossvale, N.Y.) crossed the finish line 46th overall with a time of 25:41.5.
- Freshmen Hayley Pizur (Grand Island, N.Y.) and Kennedy Pino (Spencerport, N.Y.) clocked into their first 6K at 68 and 72, respectively. Pizur posted a time of 27:49.2, while Pino came in at 28:13.1.
- Senior Keagan Carroll (Woodbridge, P.A.) rounded out the race, finishing 80th with a time of 29:45.4.
