Flames take 6th at GPAC Championships; Inhelder qualifies for nationals
NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. – Chloe Inhelder qualified for nationals and led the College of Saint Mary cross country team to a sixth-place finish at the GPAC Championships Saturday.
Inhelder finished in a time of 22:29.74 to place 12th individually and earn one of the top six spots for individuals not on a qualifying team. The 6K race was run at Adams Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D.
The Flames placed sixth overall with a team score of 152.
Dordt University won the meet with 28 points, while Concordia University took second with 42. Both teams will qualify for the national meet. Hastings College placed third with 136, while Doane University and Morningside University both finished with 142 points. Finishing behind the Flames were: Northwestern College 156, University of Jamestown 192, Midland University 286, Mount Marty University 302, Dakota Wesleyan University 328 and Briar Cliff University 334.
"We knew that the race was going to come down to a few points here or there and it certainly did," CSM Coach Derek Fey said. "Chloe ran a fantastic race and overall our group laid it all on the line."
Other individual times for the Flames were: Lorena Ramirez 23:36.99; Brooke Wigdahl 23:48.37; Corinne Mead 24:09.50; Yenifer Juan Jesus 24:38.01; Autumn Simons 24:39.97; Kiley Craft 24:49.27; Mira Fosmer 25:04.35; Jocelyn Farhar 25:05.38; Natalie Briggs 25:11.31;
"Our fifth through 10th runners couldn't quite close the gap on Brooke but the effort was there," Fey said. "Top half in this conference is always tough so I'm happy to be in that group again.
"Chloe qualifying for nationals again is definitely a fantastic accomplishment. She gets one last shot at a national meet."
The NAIA National Championships are scheduled for Nov. 17 in Vancouver, Wash.