FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Led by Zach Wiedeman and Lydia Smith, Western Illinois cross country finished fifth on the men's side and seventh on the women's side during the 2013 Summit League Cross Country Championships.
"The guys did okay, we ran what we can run," said head coach David Beauchem. "Fifth place is where we were last year. The women struggled. We've been shorthanded all year and it really was a challenge today for the women. "
Wiedeman crossed the line in 19th with a time of 25:54.63. Mark Holt continued his strong season with a 23rd-place finish, 13 seconds behind Wiedeman.
Ryan Wojdyla and Chase Marlow also finished inside the top 30 for the Leathernecks.
After also running a good race in Peoria two weeks ago, back-to-back strong performances from Lydia Smith paced the Leathernecks in the women's race. Smith finished in 29th with a time of 23:05.72. Madison Lefler and Mackenzie Gray crossed the line in 42nd and 43rd respectively.
"Lydia had a really good race and so did Zach and Mark," Beauchem said. "That's the best race Lydia has run at Western. She's stayed healthy the whole year and she was able to get the work in."
Members from both the men's and women's cross country teams will be represented at the NCAA Regional Competition on Nov. 15 in Ames, Iowa. Â Â
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