Ithaca Wins WXC Title: Cordani Individual Champion
RESULTS
The Ithaca College women's cross country team raced to a first-place finish out of nine teams Saturday at the 2015 Empire 8 Cross Country Championships hosted at the Field of Dreams Course in Houghton, NY. The Bombers tallied 30 points to remain the only school to win the title since the conference began sponsoring the sport in 2003.
Ithaca sophomore Taryn Cordani clocked a time of 17:51.2 to win the individual title and beat the next closest runner by 41 seconds. In all, 95 runners ventured the conference championship course.
Stevens Institute of Technology placed second in the team standings with 48 points, followed by Nazareth (82), St. John Fisher College (117), Utica (119), Houghton (178), Alfred (211), Hartwick (222) and Elmira (233).
All seven Ithaca athletes finished in the top-20 and four of those earned top 10-finishes.
Finishing behind Cordani was sophomore Denise Ibarra in a time of 18:32.4.
Junior Michaela Cioffredi crossed in sixth overall in a time of 18:52.5, while senior Anna Fay crossed next for the Bombers in ninth overall with a mark of 19:00.5. Junior Kristin Lynn closed out Ithaca' top five with a 12th place showing in 19:07.9.
Freshman Emilie Mertz and senior Trisha Ignatowski were top 20 finishers for Ithaca, but did not factor into team scoring. Mertz took 15th overall in 19:16.8, while Ignatowski placed 19th in 19:31.7.
Stevens freshman Mary Visca led the Ducks with a time of 18:40, tying her season-best finish of third place. Junior Kathleen Kalbian was second for Stevens, notching a time of 19:00. Fellow freshman Paige Metzheiser ran a personal best in the 5K event, recording a time of 19:01.5, finishing 10
th. Junior Kaela Earrusso and senior Kate Moyer rounded out the scoring for the Ducks, finishing 13
th and 14
th respectively.
Nazareth senior Gabrielle LeBihan finished fifth with a time of 18:44.6, and sophomore Kimmy Lovett finished 11th with a time of 19:05.3.
Fisher junior Sammy Van Gee placed fourth overall, finishing the 5,000-meter race in a time of 18:44.1, good for a spot on the Empire 8 First Team. Senior Sarah Coon finished in 16th place with a time of 19:18.4, while classmate Katlin Shippy posted a time of 20:01.8, good for 31st place.
Utica had two runners place in the top 25. Ashton Villeneuve had a season best time of 18:54.7 as she finished first for the Pioneers. Freshmen Renee Lewis (19:47.8) and Kaitlyn Phillips (20:06.5) finished 24
th and 27
th while sophomore Makenna Cooley (20:23.1) rounded out the top 30 placing 29
th.
Finishing first among the Highlander women was Joanna Friesen, who grabbed 18th overall in 19:29.9. Teammate Madyson Coville was 45th in 20:51.2.
Sophomore Lindsay Piraino was Alfred's top performer, finishing the 5-kilometer course in 17th-place (19:23.10).
Abby Cerne paced the Hartwick women, finishing in 48
th in 21:05.7.
Elmira sophomore Hannah Lundgren paced the Soaring Eagles with a 43rd-place finish and a time of 20:44.70, the second-best of her career.