WHAT'S AHEAD: The Drake women's cross country team will continue action this Friday, competing in the Oz Memorial at the Les Bolstad Golf Course on the University of Minnesota campus in Falcon Heights, Minn.
The Oz Memorial is named after Gary Osborn, the longtime Drake women's track and field and cross country coach who died in 2000. Osborn was a longtime friend of Minnesota coach Gary Wilson. The women's 6,000 meter race will start at 5 p.m. with runners from host Minnesota, Minnesota State-Mankato, North Dakota State and South Dakota State competing.
LAST YEAR: Drake finished fourth in the 2008 Oz Memorial, while host Minnesota, the defending Big Ten Conference champion, won its fourth straight team title with 15 points. North Dakota State finished second in the team standings with 74 points, edging South Dakota State (78) and Drake (82). Minnesota State was fifth with 127.
Drake senior Nicole Braunsdorf finished 12th, covering the 6,000-meter course in 23 minutes 17 seconds. The race was contested in damp, misty conditions with temperatures in the low 60s.
Then Drake sophomore Casey McDermott was 13th in 23:34. Then Drake sophomore Meredith Bell was 18th in 23:59, while sophomore Milly Clark was 19th in 24:03 and junior Courtney Heinz (St. Paul, Minn.) was 20th in 24:07.
Minnesota junior Megan Duwell captured her first collegiate medalist honor, winning the individual title at the Les Bolstad Golf Course in 21:57 seconds, winning the race by 25 seconds.
A LOOK BACK: Drake junior Casey McDermott (Newton, Iowa) captured individual honors as the women's cross country team opened its fall campaign last Friday in the Bulldog Classic at Ewing Park in Des Moines. McDermott cover the 4,000-meter race in 14 minutes 15 seconds.
Drake junior Meredith Bell (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) was fourth in 15:53, while junior Katie Coomer (Overland Park, Kan.) was sixth in 15:56. Drake junior Tara Scieszinski (Albia, Iowa) placed eighth in 16:06, while sophomore Kirsten Lake (Parker, Colo.) was ninth in 16:07.
QUOTING THE COACH: Here are comments from Drake cross country coach Dan Hostager: "Casey (McDermott) ran a great race as did Meredith (Bell). We had a lot of people run faster than a year ago, but we still have a long ways to go."
