WATERFORD, Conn. —
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy cross country team saw both men's and women's runners putting in standout performances at Connecticut College's D3 Challenge, hosted at Stenger Farm Park in nearby Waterford, Connecticut. The meet was an end-of-season opportunity for non-varsity or Regionals team runners to compete in fast 5k race.
A quintet of Bears were among the top finishers in the women's race, led by
Laura Molner (Bremen, Germany) and
Gabrielle Shord (Laurel, Md.) in fifth and sixth. Both broke the elusive 19-minute barrer and shattered their previous personal bests in the 5k, with Molner clocking in at 18:53 and Shord at 18:55.
Meredith Isley (Valparasio, Ind.) was close behind in eighth, running 19:05. The result is a special one for Isley after missing most of her debut season with an injury.
Ryann Langdale (Mission Viejo, Calif.) was tenth overall at 19:21, a significant personal best. Rounding out the women's finishers were
Sierra Wangen (University Place, Wash.) with a season best 21:01 and
Olivia Kucharski (Heartland, Wisc.) with a personal record of 21:03. Although the 5k in no longer the standard distance for collegiate cross country, the trio of Molner, Shord, and Isley all broke into the program's top 20 with their performances at the respective 14th, 15th, and 18th spots.
On the men's side,
London Layton (Crofton, Md.) was the top finisher with a time of 16:05, a new collegiate best, for ninth place.
Jack Cura (Cape May, N.J.) and
Christian Gottlieb (Harpers Ferry, W.Va.) were with each other in 13th and 14th, running 16:35 and 16:36. Finishing fourth for the Bears was
Evan Rimmele (Middletown, N.J.) with a 16:49, while
Aaron Letner (Rapid City, S.D.) rounded out the CGA roster and finished in 17:14.
Williams College won both sides of the meet, scoring 33 for the women's race and 25 in the men's. Coast Guard was second on the women's leaderboard with 42 and Conn College rounded it out with 48. For the men, Conn College was in second with 48, followed by the Bears with 66, and University of Hartford with 78.
Bears cross country will take on the NCAA Mideast Regional next week. The race will be hosted by St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, and will be run at' Hoffman Cross Country Course on the Saints' campus.
