ECU Turns In Solid Effort At Adidas Cross Country Challenge

Friday, September 16

Cary, N.C.

All Day

East Carolina University

adidas Challenge

ECU Turns In Solid Effort At Adidas Cross Country Challenge

September 16, 2016 | Cross Country

Complete Results (PDF)

CARY, N.C. – The East Carolina men's and women's cross country teams continued their 2016 campaign Friday night at the adidas Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Park in nearby Cary. The women placed fifth while the men finished eighth in the 13-team field.

"Overall, we were very proud of both teams," Director of Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country Curt Kraft said. "We know we still have a lot of work to do but it's a very long season. As a coaching staff, we are constantly reminding both the men and the women that it's a very long season and we have to take one meet at a time. We knew going into this meet that we would be up against some great competition and it would let us know where we are as a team. We have to go back to work and keep getting better."

Sophomore Grace Sullivan paced the women for the second-straight race, turning in a 12th-place result in a 5K time of 17:52.60. Classmate Victoria Cooke was the second-best Pirate finisher, taking 31st and crossing the line in 18:30.30. For both athletes, the times represented personal bests in the 5K. As a team, the women finished nine points better than nationally-ranked Virginia who is 14th in the current United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Top 25 poll.

On the men's side, sophomore Nick Ciaccia was the top ECU finisher for the second time in as many tries this season. He captured 44th place with a 6K time of 19:07.40. Senior Jorge Montes ended up in 51st after completing the course in 19:19.90.

East Carolina will run on its home course for its next competition, hosting the ECU Pirate Invitational Friday, Sept. 23, at Overton's Lake Kristi in Grimesland, N.C.