Women Rise To No. 9 In Southeast Region
October 03, 2011 | Cross Country
Oct. 3, 2011
GREENVILLE, N.C. - After breaking into the regional rankings for the first time in program history last week, the East Carolina women's cross country team turned in another solid performance Saturday to move up one place and into the No. 9 spot in the Southeast Region according to this week's release by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
The women placed ninth of 30 programs at Saturday's Greater Louisville Classic, trailing eight other squads that were also regionally ranked, including the University of Michigan, which held the No. 13 national ranking. This season, the Pirates moved up three places from their standing at the 2010 event.
As they have all year, the senior trio of Tara Wilson, Amanda Lapp and Brittany Copeland led ECU at the meet, finishing in 23rd, 24th and 25th place, respectively. Wilson completed the 5K in 17:37.49, only four seconds shy of her personal-best time. The mark was also the sixth fastest in Pirate history.
Finishing just behind was Lapp, who established a career low for the third-straight week with a 17:37.56 performance, the seventh fastest in the ECU record book. Copeland, last week's Conference USA Female Athlete-of-the-Week, wrapped up the top group, running the 5K in 17:39.57. Her time was also good for a place on the Pirates' top-10 list, tying for eighth.
Conference USA also held strong in this week's regional rankings with six squads claiming places. Rice jumped up three spots to No. 3 in the South Central Region while SMU is just behind in fourth. In the Southeast Region with the Pirates, North Carolina rose to No. 1 with Virginia and Clemson checking in second and third this week.
East Carolina has just one meet remaining, the Panorama Farms Invitational in Charlottesville, Va., on Friday, Oct. 14, before heading to the C-USA Championship in Houston on Oct. 31.
