Sept. 18, 2010
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Led by junior Beatrice Biwott for the second consecutive race, the South Carolina cross country team defended their team title at the Asics Winthrop Invitational by taking first Saturday morning at Winthrop Lake Course. With a low score of 40 points, the Gamecocks outpaced nine other NCAA Division I teams, including No. 12 Appalachian State, to improve to 11-2 on the year after two races.
Biwott finished first overall in 18:01 for the 5K course after also taking first two weekends ago at the Gamecock Invitational. She improved her time by 18 seconds from her time last season at the Asics Winthrop Invitational, while the team as a whole improved by six points from last year’s event. Freshmen Scola Jepngetich and Liz Locke, senior Ashley Evens and junior Nicole Rheinlander were Carolina’s other top five runners at the race.
Biwott once again ran a very patient race, waiting almost two miles before taking the lead. Also racing well was Jepngetich, whose time of 18:38 was a new personal best for a 5K race. She was closely followed by Locke in 18:40 and Evens in 18:43 as the trio of runners placed seventh, ninth and 10th, respectively. Rounding out the scoring for the Gamecocks was Rheinlander in 13th place with a time of 18:53. Earning a trip to the Griak Invitational next weekend with their top 25 finishes were freshman Kayla Keddal (11th), senior Laura Pramstaller (13th) and freshman Penny Boswell (14th).
Jepngetich and Locke both started the race in the front group just behind Biwott. Rheinlander and Evens followed at the front of the second group and steadily advanced as the race went on. The second Gamecock group of Keddal, Pramstaller and Boswell formed up at the back of the second pack and also worked their way towards the front.
“I am really happy with how the team fought today,” Rosenthal said. “Beatrice ran another good race. She has really grown as a racer this year. I was also pleased with Scola. She once again went out in front of Beatrice, but today when she dropped back to Liz, she fought to stay there. Then she had a good final sprint to move up a place or two at the finish. Liz and Nicole were fighters today, as both struggled in the middle but fought to hold their places for the team. Ashley Evens showed she has recovered from her illness of two weeks ago with a fine effort and race. “
The hillier course at Winthrop is slower than the fast course South Carolina uses at Hilton Field. Coach Rosenthal`s team goals at Winthrop are always to beat or at least match the times from the Gamecock Invite at Winthrop. Many of the top 10 achieved this goal for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina returns to action next weekend when the team competes at the Minnesota Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn.
