Oilers Host First Cross Country Meet in 14 Years
Findlay, Ohio - For the first time in 14 years, the University of Findlay cross-country team played host to an event. The Findlay Invitational was held on Friday, September 25 at Hillcrest Golf Club in Findlay, Ohio and was the site of the first home event for the Oilers distance runners since the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) Championships in 2006.
Findlay's women took to the course first, running a 6k, double loop course around Hillcrest's landscape. The Oilers took first place in the event finishing with a score of 19, beating out second-place Tiffin who finished with 36.
Junior Gabrielle Lawrence took the top spot as she completed the race in 23 minutes flat, 20 seconds ahead of the second place finisher, a runner from Tiffin.
The Oilers then took the next five spots to seal the victory. Freshman Baylee Hack took third with a time of 23:35 and was followed by sophomore Morgan Gaskins who crossed the line in 23:43.
Sophomore Meghan Donoher finished fifth and was the final runner for Findlay to break the 24-minute mark, finishing in 23:45. Close behind were freshman Hailey Wilson and Maya Hamsher who had times of 24:01 and 24:12, respectively.
Freshman Justine Hunt came in 11th with a time of 24:52 and right behind was junior London Moening who crossed the finish line in 24:57. Findlay's final runner, freshman Natalie Dayharsh, finished the race with a time of 25:36, good enough to take 13th place.
The Oilers men then took to the course, a two-and-a-half loop treck around Hillcrest as the sun began to set. Findlay finished runner-up, totalling 40 points, ten behind Tiffin who took the top spot.
Findlay was paced by standout freshman Gabriel Foster who set a pace of 5:16 per miles over the course of the nearly five mile race to finish in first place with a time of 26:12.
The Oilers next runner to finish the race was another freshman, Jordan Foster, who took fifth in a time of 26:56. He was followed by freshman Colin Moats who finished sixth in a time of 27:04.
Senior Ryan Kohout finished the race in just under 28 minutes, taking 14th place with a time of 27:54 while junior Wade Hopkins took 16th while clocking a time of 28:07. In 17th was freshman Devon Bill, finishing in 28:20 and close behind in 18th was junior Will Nowak who finished in 29:01.
Coming in 20th with a time of 29:29 was sophomore Dylan Hunter while freshman Aidan Ruiz was the Oilers final runner across the line, finishing in 31st with a time of 32:14.
Findlay is back on the course on Friday, October 2 for the Tiffleberg Invite held in Tiffin, Ohio. It will be their final event before participating in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Championship on October 24 which will also be held in Tiffin.
