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Rachael Keating

Leathernecks Start Season Strong at Early Bird Invite

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Several Western Illinois runners set personal records in the season opener

MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois men's and women's cross country teams opened the season at Spring Lake Park in the Early Bird Invite Friday (Aug. 30).

Western's women maneuvered Spring Lake Park to a third-place finish while Northern Illinois won the five-team 4K race field that also featured Bradley, Webster and Carl Sandburg College. 

"I'm very pleased with the opening meet after a hard week of training," head coach Diane Wholey said. "We have four women in the top-20 and several right behind, which is a really encouraging."

Nicole Beebe set the pace for Western finishers with a fifth-place time of 14:37.7, nearly three seconds better than her time in the same event last year. Hailey Tranchitella crossed the finish line in 16th with a time of 15:34.1 and she was followed by a pack of four Leathernecks. Elyse Mathews (15:59.7), Mackenzie Goldring (16:03.3), Jacey Roper (16:20.1) all completed the race within the top-25.
 
Kaitlyn Mathews (16:55.4) and Nessrine Zbeeb (17:32.7) rounded out the Western Illinois lineup. The Mathews sisters both set new 4K personal records.
 
Bradley swept the top-5 spots in the men's 6K race to cruise to the team-title out of four opponents while the Leathernecks finished as the runner-up led by Quintin Thurman. The Western junior passed a competitor during the final stretch to claim sixth-place with a 6K personal record of 20:30.8 nearly two minutes better than his time at the 2018 Early Bird Invite.

"Quintin did a great job to lead the way," Wholey said. "Our young kids and returning kids did well so that's a good omen for the start of the season."
 
Lucas Howett (PR, 20:40.5) and Isaiah Moorman (20:40.7) finished back-to-back to help the Leathernecks claim a total of three Top-10 placers.
 
Ross Smetzer collected a 14th place finish for the host team (12:18.6). Cayson Frerichs (22:47.3) and Lucas Hofer (24:42.3) rounded out the men's squad.

Western continues its 2019 season at the NIU Huskie Challenge Friday, Sept. 6. 
 
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