Missouri women take first in Cross-Country Challenge
Some runners scratched to avoid injury before qualifiers.
Published Sept. 15, 2009
Junior Phillip King and freshman Kaitie Vanatta won their respective races during Saturday's Missouri Cross-Country Challenge at A.L. Gustin Golf Course.
As a team, the Missouri women won the event with 24 points, edging out Kansas by seven. Vanatta, senior Ellen Ries and freshman Bailey Belvis claimed the race's top three spots to ward off a strong showing from the Jayhawks, who claimed the fourth through seventh place spots.
Along with Missouri and Kansas, Lincoln University, St. Louis University and William Woods University participated in the event.
The men's team lost the event for the first time in seven years. After King, the Tigers' highest finisher was junior Kyle Rood, who placed ninth.
Missouri only ran two of its expected top five runners due to illness or unwillingness to risk injury at a meet that doesn't count toward qualifying for the NCAA National Championship.
Coach Jared Wilmes said the Jayhawks ran most, if not all, of their strongest runners.
"This is an exhibition part of our season," Wilmes said. "I'm more concerned about getting the guys back that have been sick. I know that they're fit. It's just a matter of getting them back and ready to go."
Notable scratches for the men included junior Michael Pandolfo, junior Dan Quigley and freshman Max Storms, who Wilmes didn't run because of his true freshman status. Additionally, sophomore Phil Bascio ran but is at less than full strength due to illness.
King won the men's race by almost 20 seconds and ran the fastest time, 25 minutes, 46.3 seconds, on the A.L. Gustin course by a Missouri runner since 2004, when Tim Ross ran it in 25:28.73.
"That was a dominant performance," Wilmes said. "I think he pretty much had it on cruise control."
King said he didn't give his all to avoid risking an injury that would force him to miss future meets.
"We have a whole bunch of other races coming up throughout the season, so I just wanted to make sure, especially on this course because it's so hilly, just to kind of relax," King said. "I just made sure at the end that I had a little bit left."
The college men ran an 8-kilometer race, and the women ran a 5K.
Wilmes also rested some key women runners, most notably junior Kinsey Farren, who posted the best Missouri time at every event last year.
That the Tigers still won without Farren eased any doubts about the performance of last year's women's team. The Tigers finished last at the Big 12 Championships in 2008.
"We weren't sure how it would all shake out, not having a full team and everything, but everyone really stepped up," Ries said. "Our freshmen are doing awesome, and we have some returners who are really competing."
MU will not host another meet during the regular season this year, but the school is this year's host to the Big 12 Championships, which will be held Oct. 31 at the same course.
In two weeks, the Tigers will travel to Minnesota to run in the Griak Invitational, followed a week later by a trip to Louisville, Ky., for the Great Louisville Cross-Country Classic.
