FALCON HEIGHTS, MINN. -- Drake senior Casey McDermott (Newton, Iowa) was 88th at the Roy Griak Invitational Women's Gold Division cross country meet at the Les Bolstad Golf Course Saturday.
McDermott was timed in 22 minutes 44 seconds on the 6,000-meter course. The Bulldogs placed 22nd out of 29 teams.
Three-hundred runners, representing more than 29 schools from across the country, helped comprise the strongest cross country field a young Drake team will face this fall.
Senior Tara Scieszinski (Albia, Iowa) was 139th in 23:38, while freshman Erin Poss (Antioch, Ill.) placed 143rd in 23:48. Senior Katie Coomer (Overland Park, Kan.) was 151st in 23:59 with senior Meredith Bell (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), 160th in 24:09 and freshman Amanda Marwitz (Crystal Lake, Ill.) 178th in 24:52.
North Carolina State freshman Laura Hoer held off Minnesota junior Stephanie Price to win the individual title.
Hoer crossed the finish line in 20:38.40, two seconds ahead of Price, for what has to be the biggest win of her young career. Hoer is the first freshman to win the Jack Johnson Gold Race since Duke's Sheela Agrawal won in the last year the race covered 5,000 meters in 1999.
Arizona placed five runners among the top 25 to win the team title with 76 points, followed by New Mexico (101), Iowa State (111), Duke (117) and Providence (135) rounding out the top five. Minnesota finished seventh with 180 points, with freshman Missa Varpness finishing 27th in 21:47.
Drake will have runners compete in both the Grand View Invitational Friday as well as the Loyola of Chicago Invitational Saturday.
ROY GRIAK INVITATIONAL
At Falcon Heights, Minn.
WOMEN'S GOLD DIVISION
Team Scoring
1.Arizona 76; 2. New Mexico 102; 3. Iowa State 113; 4. Duke 119; 5. Providence 139; 6. Boston College 165; 7. Minnesota 185; 8. North Carolina State 226; 9. Penn State 260; 10. Arizona State 267; 11. Colorado State 268; 12. Rice 272; 13. Toledo 285; 14. Baylor 346; 15. Connecticut 417; 16. Central Michigan 441; 17. Utah Valley 505; 18. Boise State 574; 19. South Carolina 581; 20. Coastal Carolina 608; 21. Oregon State 622; 22. Drake 667; 23. South Dakota State 701; 24. Navy 728; 25. Alberta 796; 26. Loyola-Chicago 799; 27. South Dakota 805; 28. Northern Illinois 833; 29. North Dakota 888
Individual Winner (6,000 meters)
1. Laura Hoer, North Carolina State, 20:39.
Drake Results -- 88. Casey McDermott 22:44; 139; Tara Scieszinski 23:38; 143. Erin Poss 23:48;151. Katie Coomer 23:59; 160. Meredith Bell 24:09; 178l Amanda Marwitz 24:52.
