University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Atlantic 10 Championships
XC Women 2nd, Men 8th at A-10 Championships
11/02/2013 | Cross Country
MECHANICSVILLE, Va. - The University of Richmond women's cross country team placed second, while the Spider men's team finished eighth at the 2013 Atlantic 10 Championships on Saturday morning. The women's team finished with 73 points, while the men's squad finished with 194.
After finishing third last season, senior Jill Prentice pulled out second place with a time of 17:02.7 to lead the Richmond women, while senior Jason Skipper earned his first top-25 finish at the conference championships, placing 21st with a time of 24:41.4 to pace the Spider men.
The Duquesne women's cross country team was able to edge out the Spiders for the win tallying 53 points, while the La Salle men's cross country team claimed its second conference championship in the last three years.
Behind Prentice, sophomore Tara Hanley earned her first top-ten finish at the conference championships, placing fifth with a time of 17:15.0. Freshman Marisa Ruskan had a solid showing in her first A-10 Championship, coming in eighth with a time of 17:24.2 and winning the A-10's women's Rookie of the Year.
“I'm really proud of our girls,” said head women's cross country coach Lori Taylor. “Our top three ran superb and our four and five ran really strong and gave it their all. Our girls came in second place to a really great Duquesne team.”
Finishing just outside of the top-25 was junior Elizabeth Schinski, who finished 27th in 18:02.6. Rounding out the top-five finishers for the Spiders was junior Allison Stapleton, who crossed the finish line in 32nd with a time of 18:05.8.
While Skipper led Richmond on Saturday morning, senior Ryan Lee also ran well for the Spiders, coming in 31st with a time of 24:50.0. Sophomore Jordan Chavez also finished in the top-50, placing 32nd with a time of 24:53.5.
“Our guy's gave it their best,” said head men's cross country coach Steve Taylor. “It was a great championship, our men will rise for another day and look to do a little better in the future here.”
Sophomore Mathew McKenna finished 52nd with a time of 25:21.2, while senior Adam Owens crossed in a time of 25:39.3, placing 66th overall.
Both Spider squads will now set their sites on the Southeast Regional in Charlottesville, Va. on Friday, November 15.
Stay updated on all the latest Richmond Cross Country news on RichmondSpiders.com and by accessing Spider Athletics' mobile apps on your Smartphone or tablet. More in-depth coverage can be found by following Head CoachSteve Taylor on Twitter and by reading his blog. The Spiders also have their own Facebook page and have launched their own YouTube Channel as well.
Spider Men's Finishers
21. Jason Skipper 24:41.4
31. Ryan Lee 24:50.0
32. Jordan Chavez 24:53.5
53. Mathew McKenna 25:21.2
66. Adam Owens 25:39.3
67. Andrew Valenski 25:39.8
80. Matthew Groff 25:54.4
85. Paul Myer 25:58.6
95. Patrick Love 26:31.9
102. Andrew Brennan 26:46.3
Spider Women's Finishers
2. Jill Prentice 17:02.7
5. Tara Hanley 17:15.0
8. Marisa Ruskan 17:24.2
27. Elizabeth Schinski 18:02.6
32. Allison Stapleton 18:05.8
42. Molly Parsons 18:20.7
66. Emma Nowak 18:47.9
79. Tenley Godfrey 19:10.4
89. Maddie Wittich 19:31.8
103. Taylor Clevinger 20:12.6
Players Mentioned
