Oct. 10, 2009
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's cross country team won their second straight race, while the men had their highest team showing of the season with a second-place effort at the Gibson Family Collegiate Invitational, hosted by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and DePauw University at the Indiana State course on Saturday. The Boilermaker women had just 31 team points, while the men finished with a score of 63.
"We're very pleased with the efforts of both the women's and men's teams," said Purdue head coach Jack Warner. "Despite the fact that we held some of our top runners out on both sides and the teams were facing a wet and muddy course, both teams came together and made sure Purdue was well represented in this race."
The Purdue women dominated their first 6K effort of the season, taking home four of the top five individual finishes en route to their 31-point team score. Sophomore Katie Conrad was the top finisher for the Boilermakers, crossing the line second overall with a career-best 6K of 22:36.2. Classmates Stephanie Bonk and Kara Conflenti followed in succession as Bonk was third with a career-best mark of 22:43.5, while Conflenti was fourth in her first collegiate 6K race with a time of 22:51.6. Rookie Kelly McCurdy rounded out the overall top-five, crossing the line in 22:56.9 in her first collegiate 6K effort, while fellow freshman Erin Czuprynski capped the Boilermakers' roster and scoring in 17th place and a time of 24:13.6.
On the men's side, sophomore Charles White led the Boilermakers with his top 8K time since joining the team as he finished second overall in 25:56.3. White was backed closely by fellow sophomore Cale Allen, who was third overall in 25:56.9. Sophomore Ladd Mercer and freshman Robert Stewart were the next two Boilermakers across the line, finishing just 0.3 second apart in 17th (26:22.3) and 18th (26:22.6) overall, while freshman Stephen Schulz was the fifth Boilermaker scorer, taking 26th in 26:41.9. The Boilermakers were 32 points shy of the team title, captured by Shawnee State with 31 team points.
Purdue returns to action next weekend, heading to archrival Indiana University's home course for the Sam Bell Invitational.