Cross Country Finishes Second at JMU Open Invitational

Saturday, September 10

New Market, Va.

TBA

James Madison University

JMU Open Invitational

9/10/2011 5:49:00 PM | Cross Country

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NEW MARKET, Va., Sept. 10, 2011 - The James Madison cross country team placed five runners in the top 10 to finish second in the JMU Open Invitational on Saturday morning at New Market Battlefield.

Junior Katie Harman (Clarksville, Md./River Hill) was JMU's top finisher as she was runner-up on the 5.2-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 13.7 seconds. Her time was 7.3 seconds behind Navy's Jess Placio, who was the individual champion. Junior Stacey Nobles (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) crossed the line just under 11 seconds after Harman to take third place in 19:24.6.

"I thought they did a great job," Head Coach Dave Rinker said. "Navy is pretty good and their first runner is really good and we spotted them a little bit too much, but for a first race, I'm very pleased."

The Dukes, ranked fifth in tahe Southeast Region, had another top-five finisher and a pair of athletes to round out the top 10. Junior Katie Gorman (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) was fifth in 19:28.2, senior Jess Zozos (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) took ninth in 19:50.1 and sophomore Carrie Payne (Annandale, Va./W.T. Woodson) completed JMU's team scoring with a 10th-place showing in 20:11.4.

Navy, which sits ninth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, got all of its team scoring with runners finishing the race in the top eight. It finished the meet with 26 points (1, 4, 6, 7, 8), three points ahead of the Dukes, who tallied 29 points (2, 3, 5, 9, 10). Mary Washington and Longwood followed in a tie for third with 106 points each. Bridgewater rounded out the field in fifth with 122 points.

Earlier in the day, Duke won the men's 7.9-kilometer race with 15 points. Morgan Pearson won the individual race in 25:01.5. The Blue Devils took the top-five spots to win by 43 points. Navy's 'B' squad was runner-up with 58 points and Colonial Athletic Association foe George Mason was third with 80 points. Mary Washington took fourth (117), Longwood was fifth (159), Howard was sixth (169) and Bridgewater took seventh (175).

The Dukes will have a three-week layoff to prepare for the Notre Dame Invitational Sept. 30 in South Bend, Ind.

Women's Team Scores:

1. U.S. Naval Academy	26 points
2. James Madison	29 points
3. Mary Washington	106 points
4. Longwood	106 points
5. Bridgewater	122 points