By Brendon Paucek, UWEC Sports Information
Colfax, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – On a Friday afternoon perfect for racing, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's cross country team had a big day, placing third overall at the Blugold Invitational.
The Blugolds scored 89 points, behind the University of Minnesota and St. Olaf but ahead of Division II team Michigan Tech (109) and UW-La Crosse (122).
The women boasted several outstanding efforts, namely Callie Fischer (Jr. - Onieda, WI/Ashwaubenon) and Karen Gomez-Ruiz (So. - Chatfield, MN/Chatfield), who finished ninth (23:09) and 17th (23:27), respectively.
"Our plan going into the race was to focus on good positioning the first mile that would put us in a good spot to be more aggressive in the race," said Gomez. "Pack running went really well and the majority of our team moved up as the race progressed."
Rounding out the scoring top five were Samantha Slattery (Fr. - Waunakee, WI/Waunakee), Melody Becker (Sr. - Osseo, WI), and Lexie Tremble (So. - Muskego, WI/Muskego), who placed 26th (23:50), 28th (23:57), and 34th (24:06).
Additionally, running break out races were freshmen Maggie Louiselle (Fr. - Minneapolis, MN/Totino Grace) and Mary Miles (Fr. - Saint Paul, MN/Como Park). Louiselle was the Blugold's sixth runner, placing 39th (24:16) overall, and Miles was the team's 12th runner, finishing 65th (24:58).
Overall, the women's home invitational was a big success, and the future still looks bright.
"I think this meet really showed how deep our team is, and it will be exciting to watch everyone continue to progress as we get into some bigger meets this season," said Fischer.
"We're in a fine spot and we can definitely run better," said Coach Dan Schwamberger. "It tells me their goals are realistic, it's just continuing to be smart and hopefully keep people healthy."
The Blugold women will take the next week off from competition and continue to train for the UW-Oshkosh Invitational at Lake Breeze Golf Course on Saturday, October 15.
