Sept. 9, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Purdue cross country teams traveled to Bloomington for the Indiana Invitational and saw four of the Boilermaker men finish among the top 11 runners.
Eric Hammond was just seven seconds off the winning pace set by unattached runner Justin Roeder. Hammond ran the 8K course 26:08 for a third place finish, while teammate Justin Stadt was fifth with a time of 26:17.
Purdue had back-to-back finishers for 10th and 11th in the event as Justin Gauthier and Michial Jacob crossed the finish line within seven seconds of each other. Gauthier ran a 26:35 to Jacobs' 26:42.
The Boilermakers' fifth and sixth runners across the line also crossed in consecutive places. Josh Robinson placed 14th with a 26:59 and Matt De Silva, Purdue's first freshman to complete the course, ran a 27:02.
On the women's side, Katie Morrical was the top Boilermaker for the second week in a row, running the 5K course in a ninth-place 18:33. Erin Webster of Michigan was the winner of the event, running away from the pack with a 17:14, crossing the finish line 26 seconds before the rest of the field.
Like Purdue's first race of the season in Illinois, the talented freshman class paced the women's team. Following Morrical, a freshman, four of the next six Boilermakers across the line were also members of the first-year class.
Kristin Phillips finished 14th with a time of 18:54 and Carrie Fett was 21st with a clocking of 19:20. Following Fett were four Boilermakers crossing the line in four consecutive finishing places in a span of 21 seconds. Jessica Hampson finished 23rd with a 19:27, Sarah Klaczynski placed 24th at 19:46, Elle Lammers was 25th in 19:47 and Danielle Ginther ran a 19:48 for 26th place.
The Boilermakers are back in action on Friday, Sept. 15, in Terre Haute at the annual Indiana Intercollegiates. Last year, the Purdue woman finished second at the event in Bloomington and the men finished third.