[Cross Country] Cavaliers Arrive Early, Finish Well
SWANNANOA, N.C. – On Saturday morning, the Cavaliers cross country teams enjoyed the shortest road trip any Montreat squad will take this year when they competed at the Asheville Cross Country Invitational hosted by UNC-Asheville. The event was held at Swannanoa's Asheville Christian Academy.
With ten team entries on the men's side, the gun sounded to start the field at 9 a.m.. By race's end, the Cavs placed fith overall with a score of 135, besting Wofford, Carson-Newman, Auburn Montgomery, Gardner-Webb, and Presbyterian in the process.
Brien Lancaster (SR/Wilmington, NC) finished second overall in the race, behind only Carson-Newman's Luke Greer, while Rylan Hincher (JR/North Wilkesboro, NC) placed second for the Montreat men, and 13th in the field of 100. The Lancaster-Hincher combo of 15 points was second only to that of overall winner UNC-Asheville's 13 for top two finishers. Freshman Caleb Silver (FR/Smithfield, NC) rounded out Montreat's top three finishers.
"Overall, pretty pleased with how everyone did," said Lancaster after the race. "This is the toughest week of year, because of training. We have a lot of mileage, a lot of hard workouts, so we can finish well at the end of the season."
"We know that our effort, no matter of the result, brings glory to God if we do it with the right heart."
Sophomore Elijah Mitchell (JR/Milledgeville, GA), a sprint specialist on the Cavaliers' track team, showed his versatility and determination in tackling the four-mile distance. "It was a good race. I was just glad to get out here with my team and support them and finish up even though I'm a sprinter," said Mitchell. "No regrets. Everybody ran well and I'm glad to be out here with my team."
Head coach Jason Lewkowicz, acknowledging the heavy training week for his squad, was happy with the effort he saw on the course.
"I was really pleased with how the men ran. For them to come out and compete like they did, especially up front with those top two guys and a freshman [Silver] coming in the number three spot," said Lewkowicz.
"Really impressed with Jacob Parker (SO/Elkin, NC) today at four," added the coach.
The Montreat women were led by Lydia Wilson (FR/Smithfield, VA), the indoor 5k All-American, who made her collegiate cross-country debut. The women's race was a two-miler, and Wilson finished 23rd in a field of 93. Sophomore Isabel Salinas (SO/Resaca, GA) showed a strong follow-up to her effort at the Hyder-MacMahill Invitational on September 2, and was the second finisher for the Cavaliers.
"I got faster to the two-mile mark. It was good; I know we're improving," said Salinas in comparing her effort to the longer Montreat course at Black Mountain.
"It felt really good to be back out," said Wilson, who was returning from an injury that sidelined her for the Cavs' home opener. "I just have to work on pacing. But, I wasn't hurting, and I'm thankful to the Lord for that, and I was able to finish and I'm thankful for that."
Lewkowicz acknowledged that his upperclassmen showed they best understood the challenges of the distance, particularly on a warm morning that approached 80 degrees. "Isabel [Salinas] and Alona Kosenko (SR/Charlotte, NC) ran great. They ran smart. Izzy was moving up throughout the race and Alona was moving up throughout."
Trailing just behind Kosenko was Josie Hanna (FR/St. Helens, OR), the Oregon freshman who bounced back from injury to compete in her first race as a collegian.
Next up: The Cavs compete at the University of Louisville's Greater Louisville Classic a week from today.
Pictured: Montreat's cross-country team is off at the start of the Asheville Cross Country Invitational in Swannanoa.