Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Results

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Oct. 16, 2021) – In its return to the Saukie Golf Course, the North Central College women's cross country team battled against a field of 23 teams–six of which are ranked amongst the top-20 nationally–to finish 10th overall at the Augustana Interregional Invitational. 

Each of the Cardinals' top seven finishers achieved a season's best time for the six-kilometer distance. The first Cardinal to reach such a feat was Jenna Fiore who finished 29th overall and turned in a time of 22 minutes and 38.2 seconds. Rachael Vaccaro was next across the line for the Cardinals in 78th place, running a time of 23 minutes and 44.9 seconds.

Julia Benes (23:47.2) finished in 81st, followed by Julianne Billings (23:50.1) in 85th. Nicole Brandy (24:02.0) finished in 99th, while Allie Ganser (24:28.7) and Madzia Myrda (24:28.8) crossed the line together in 118th and 119th, respectively.

The Cardinals strung together 325 points to finish tenth overall while No. 9 nationally-ranked, Pomona-Pitzer produced a dominating front to take the team win with 68 points. No. 2 Wartburg College was pushed down to second with 75 points followed by No. 3 Washington (Mo.) in third with 97 points. No. 5 University of Chicago finished fourth with 97 points. No. 16 Hope College rounded out the top-five with 100 points. The final nationally-ranked team present was No. 11 Calvin University who finished sixth with 134 points. 

The Cardinals' next competition will be Oct. 30 for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Conference Championship in Warrenville, Ill. This year's championship will be hosted by Wheaton College. 

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