Women's Cross Country Finishes Seventh at South Region Championships
11/13/2010 12:00:00 AM
Nov. 13, 2010
Complete Results | Photo Gallery 
HOOVER, Ala. - The University of Alabama women's cross country team turned in a seventh-place finish at the NCAA South Region Championships Saturday morning at Hoover's Veterans Park. Four of the five scorers for the Crimson Tide turned in personal bests as the squad posted a solid team race.
"We came in ranked 10th in the region and finished seventh without Kelsey Johnson who was our top runner at the SEC Championships and our No. 1 heading into this race," head coach Randy Hasenbank said. "We competed as well as we have all season and we were really up against a wall. But they ran inspired today and you could tell they really competed from the start in a large 25-team field."
Johnson was held out of the regional meet due to illness, but the Tide's lineup rose to the challenge with all five scorers finishing in the top 80 of the deep, 185-runner field. Junior Andrea Torske crossed the line first for UA in 32nd place with a personal best of 21:00.73, her fastest time at 6 kilometers by nearly a minute. Classmate Leigh Gilmore trailed closely with a personal best of her own in 36th place at 21:07.12.
"We all had to step today and collectively we all ran really strong and you could tell we all ran PR's," Gilmore said. "We're very pleased with the result and it was a great performance to end the season for us."
Katlyn Will crossed third for UA in 53rd place with a personal-best time of 21:43.26 with senior Haley Moody behind her in 61st with a season-best performance and time of 21:52.37.
"Everybody needed to step up today and I'm really glad I could get out there and help my team today with my finish," Moody said. "It was a good way to end the season and my career at Alabama with a solid finish."
Elsbeth Denton wrapped up the scoring for the Tide in 71st with the best time of her career at 22:07.51. Dayle Van Ess also competed for the Tide and finished just outside the scoring in 78th place at 22:10.30.
Florida State, which entered the event ranked No. 1 in the region, cruised to the regional title with all five of its scorers finishing in the top 10. Georgia's Kristie Krueger won the individual title with a time of 19:52.93.
Saturday's race was most likely the last of the season for the Tide as the top two teams from each of the 10 NCAA regions advancing to the NCAA Championships with the rest of the field being selected from a pool of ranked at-large teams.
NCAA SOUTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS Hoover, Ala. - Veterans Park
Alabama Results Team - 7th of 25
Individual Results 32. Andrea Torske - 21:00.73 36. Leigh Gilmore - 21:07.12 53. Katlyn Will - 21:43.26 61. Haley Moody - 21:52.37 76. Elsbeth Denton - 22:07.51 78. Dayle Van Ess - 22:10.30
