East Carolina University
ECU Pirate Invitational
Cross Country Sweeps ECU Pirate Invitational
September 24, 2010 | Cross Country
Sept. 24, 2010
Men's Results | Women's Results
GREENVILLE, N.C. – For the second-straight year, the East Carolina men’s and women’s cross country teams claimed the ECU Pirate Invitational titles Friday at Overton’s Lake Kristi. The men’s contingent defeated Mount Olive College and Barton College while the women topped the same two squads as well as Meredith College. It was ECU’s only home meet of the 2010 season.
The men placed all six runners in the top seven and the women had seven participants finish in the top 10. The team championship is the first for both programs since last year’s ECU Pirate Invitational.
Leading the way for the men was sophomore Cory Hampshire, who won the first meet of his career with a time of 26:27.27. Not only was the overall meet victory a first for Hampshire, but it was also his initial time pacing the Pirates.
The men claimed spots two through five with sophomore Dillon Hawley checking in second in 26:39.02. Sophomore transfer Daniel Porter finished a career-best third overall, clocking out at 26:55.33.
Junior Zack Montijo (27:35.41) turned in his fifth career top-10 performance, coming in a personal-best fourth place. Sophomore Antonio Palmer ran a career-best 27:45.22 to take fifth.
Freshman Chase Miller completed the Pirate group, running his first career 8K in 28:04.23 to finish seventh overall.
For the East Carolina women, all 13 of the team’s runners finished in the top 20. Junior Brittany Copeland won her second career ECU Pirate Invitational as she also claimed the title as a freshman in 2007. She finished this season’s 5K race in 17:55.61, good for the ninth-best time in program history. Copeland now owns three of the top-10 times on the all-time list.
Juniors Tara Wilson and Amanda Lapp were not far behind, taking second and third, respectively. Wilson clocked out at 18:24.28 and Lapp at 18:34.64, just .38 seconds shy of her career best. For Wilson, it was the highest individual placement of her career as she paired with Lapp to take second in the 4,800-meter relay at the Campbell Invitational last season.
Freshmen Bjork Olsen, Chelsea Hollingsworth and Amanda Tomlin all claimed their first career top-10 finishes. Olsen placed fifth with a time of 18:49.42 while Hollingsworth took seventh (19:13.21) and Tomlin eighth with a personal-best 19:27.12.
Sophomore Brooke Kott was the final top-10 finisher on the squad, checking in ninth with a time of 19:37.37. It was Kott’s fourth top-10 finish of her career.
The Pirates held spots 11-13 with freshman Michelle Bailey (19:48.46), sophomore Stacey Gonzalez (19:54.11) and freshman Kelley Miko (20:24.92). The times for Bailey and Miko were career bests.
Freshman Kaylee Bythell clocked out at 20:34.31 to claim 15th while junior Andrea Barletta took 17th with a time of 20:44.61. Sophomore Kirstin Anderson wrapped up the ECU squad in 20th (21:31.63).
The Pirate men and women return to action next Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Greater Louisville Classic in Louisville, Ky.
