MECHANICSVILLE, Va. – The University of Dayton women's cross country team took second place overall in the 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship Saturday at Pole Green Park.
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Every Flyer ran PRs, led by sophomore
Taylor Vernot's fourth-place finish in 17:24.5, the second-fastest 5k time in Dayton women's cross country history.
Chloe Flora was right behind her in 17:26.7, the third-fastest 5k time in Flyer history (she broke her PR by 1:22). Flora was the fastest freshman of the race, finishing in fifth place to earn Rookie of the Year honors; she is the first Flyer to ever earn the honor. Vernot and Flora both earned all-conference honors.
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Grace McDonald (22
nd in 18:03.2) and
Kaci Bornhorst (25
th in 18:05.0) also finished in the top 25 at the championship.
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"It's a very exciting day for the team," said
Sarah Haveman, UD's director of women's track and field/cross country. "The team ran very well today. We needed just a little more from a few individuals, but we had others step up tremendously. They are a team through and through. They are proud of how they performed, yet hungry for the next step."
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Richmond was the team champion with 77 points. Dayton and Duquesne tied for second with 88 points and the Flyers won the tiebreaker.
The Flyers were picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches poll after finishing ninth in the 2015 championship race.
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The Flyers will race next at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday, Nov. 11 in Madison, Wis.
5K WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP RACE
1. Richmond - 77
2. Dayton – 88
3. Duquesne – 88
4. Davidson – 109
5. Massachusetts – 150
6. George Washington – 160
7. Saint Joseph's – 178
8. Fordham – 234
9. Saint Louis – 235
10. VCU – 245
11. George Mason – 260
12. La Salle – 297
13. Rhode Island – 322
14. St. Bonaventure – 466
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FLYER INDIVIDUAL FINISHES
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