Cross country runners set numerous PRs at Lock Haven Invite

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- No fewer than seven Juniata College cross country runners turned in new personal best times at Saturday's Lock Haven Invitational.

Sophomore Katrina Woods (Shirleysburg, Pa./Mount Union) had Juniata's top finish of the afternoon, placing 10th overall on the 6000m course with a personal record time of 23:12.10. Woods knocked 51 seconds off her previous best time at the 6 km distance. Junior Caroline Morgan (Havertown, Pa./Haverford Township) also set a new personal record with her 19th place finish, shaving 33 seconds off her previous PR with a time of 23:43.30.

Senior Casey Hoffman (Coplay, Pa./Parkland) was 61st overall and scored 44th with her time of 25:40.60, which was a 44-second improvement in her personal best time.

Two freshmen, Courtney Peterson (York, Pa./Central York) and Alyssa Cousins (Lemont, Pa./State College Area), turned in strong showing at Lock Haven and were Juniata's fourth and fifth runners. Peterson was 66th overall, scored 46th, with a time of 25:52.20, while Cousins was 72nd overall with a time of 26:11.90 and scored 47th.

Overall, the Juniata women finished seventh out of seven squads at the meet. The Eagles were the only Division III team to compete in the event.

The Juniata men finished sixth out of the six squads entered, and were also the only Division III squad entered.

Sophomore Nate Alter (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) was the top Juniata finisher in the men's 8000m event, placing 19th overall and scoring 18th with a personal record time of 26:58.20. Alter improved his PR by 22 seconds.

Senior Ceth Parker (Sabillasville, Md./Catoctin) ran second for Juniata and was 29th overall, turning in a time of 27:29.00 and scoring 25th. Pete Mullins (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills) was 54th overall with a time of 28:37.20, and showed a 30-second improvement in his personal record.

Connor Robinson (Asheville, N.C./Asheville) led a pack of Juniata runners, finishing 61st overall with a time of 28:57.90 and beating his personal record by 35 seconds. Trevor Stephens (Bethesda, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) was 62nd with a time of 29:00.10, while Nick Trapane (Thurmont, Md./Catoctin) was 65th with a mark of 29:14.00.

Three more Juniata runners placed 67th through 69th in the Lock Haven meet. John Lugg (Lock Haven, Pa./Western Reserve Academy, Ohio) was the lone member of that group to turn in a PR performance, shaving 40 seconds off his previous best time with a mark of 29:24.20.

Juniata heads to Bethlehem, Pa., next Saturday, Sept. 30, to compete in the Lehigh University Paul Short Invitational.

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