NC State women and Notre Dame men win the Blue races at the Joe Piane Invitational
Hannah Gapes won the 5K in 15:22.60 as NC State took the team title at Notre Dame; Daelen Ackley led a Fighting Irish 1-2 in the 8K.
Photograph: the start of the women's Blue race at the 2010 Notre Dame Invitational, by Phil Roeder, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe Joe Piane Invitational at Notre Dame's Burke Golf Course on Friday was the first serious look at two of the sport's heavyweights, and both did what their rankings said they should. NC State's women won the Blue 5K with 39 points, and Notre Dame's men won the Blue 8K at home with 22.
Hannah Gapes, an NC State senior, controlled the women's race from the front. She passed 3K in 9:21.59 and finished in 15:22.60, more than 12 seconds clear of Indiana freshman Katy Zang (15:35.34) and Clemson freshman Nancy Cherop (15:47.80). The Wolfpack scored with places 1, 7, 8, 10 and 13, Bethany Michalak, Angelina Napoleon and Brooke Rauber filling the middle of the pack. Notre Dame was second with 84 and South Carolina third with 102 in a 20-team field.
The men's race was tighter at the front and decided by a pack. Notre Dame senior Daelen Ackley won in 22:54.7, with teammate Cameron Todd four seconds back in 22:58.6 and Bradley's Jayde Rosslee third in 23:01.2. Drew Griffith and Kevin Sanchez came through fifth and sixth for the Irish, so their scoring five finished within 34 seconds of each other. Bradley was second with 87 and NC State third with 110.
In the Gold races, Goshen freshman Jesse Songo won the 8K in 23:45.5 and Tiffin took the team title, while Windsor's Alyshia Alkerton won the women's 5K and Toledo won the team race.
A 1-5 spread of 34 seconds in October is the number to remember. Teams that run like that in November win things.
Sources: PrimeTime Timing compiled results via Kent State Athletics.
