From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
The Case Western Reserve University cross country team opened its 2023 season on Friday night at the Tommy Evans Invitational at the Silver Creek Metro Park in Norton, Ohio.
WOMEN
In addition to finishing eighth overall, the Spartans also placed third among the nine Division III teams in attendance at the meet, which was hosted by Akron.
Sophomore Lauren Iagnemma led the way for the Spartans, placing 16th out of 189 runners with a time of 18:44.62 in the 5K race. She was followed by senior Grace Jackson, who placed 25th with a time of 18:55.47. The final three Spartan scorers all finished in a close pack, with sophomore Ayla Grabenbauer placing 64th in a time of 19:44.97, sophomore Arianna Holbrook finishing 65th in a time of 19:45.12, and junior Marquis Globokar placing 66th with a time of 19:45.33.
Rounding out the Spartan finishers were senior Jessica Kwasny (94th, 20:23.37), sophomore Julia Hluck (128th, 21:08.95), sophomore Anna Avila (133rd, 21:13.08), junior Medha Patria (167th, 22:46.26), and sophomore Melanie Taylor (180th, 24:07.74).
The Spartans finished with 204 team points. Bowling Green won the team race with 46 points, followed by Ohio (65) and Akron (115).
MEN
CWRU, which finished with 234 points, was also fourth out of nine Division III teams at the event. Kent State won the meet with a score of 71, followed by Akron with 74 and Walsh with a score of 94.
Senior Stephen Henry was the Spartans' top finisher for the first time in his career, placing 18th out of 271 finishers with a time of 19:01.36 in the 6K race. Junior Nate Gilbert was 46th overall with a time of 19:31.72, followed by first-year Jacob Slater in 51st place with a time of 19:34.62. Rounding out the team's scoring finishers were junior Mike Lombardi, who placed 62nd with a time of 19:45.18, and junior Hans Holst, who placed 83rd with a time of 19:57.06.
Other finishers for CWRU included first-year Finn Bonner (103rd, 20:03.76), junior Luke Kishna (118th, 20:14.44), first-year Seth Tivakaran (134th, 20:24.41), sophomore Matias Facchinato-Sitja (139th, 20:31.68), senior Arjun Thillairajah (142nd, 20:33.39), sophomore Nathan Webb (146th, 20:37.56), senior Matthew Smutny (157th, 20:44.45), sophomore Solomon Greene (170th, 20:55.57), first-year Praveen Sureshkumar (178th, 21:04.38), graduate student Jacob Conard (186th, 21:08.93), sophomore Danny Becker (205th, 21:28.75), first-year Angel Zeferino (216th, 21:35.57), and junior Aidan Nathan (217th, 21:36.15).
Akron's Bruan Masai won the race with a time of 17:55.0.