Men's Individual Results

Women's Individual Results

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—The University of Evansville cross country teams wrapped up the 2009 season on Saturday, as the Purple Aces took part in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships in Bloomington, Indiana.

On the men’s side, junior Ryan Witters (Evansville, Ind./Memorial) once again set the pace for the Purple Aces, as he placed 80th in a field of 206 runners with a 10-K time of 33:04.81.  It marked the eighth time this year in eight meets in which Witters set the pace for the Purple Aces, and his time ranks as the ninth-fastest 10-K time in school history, as it bettered a 1991 time set by former Purple Ace Tom Goldsby of 33:09.

Junior Christopher Kipchirchir was the next Ace across the finish line, as he placed 110th overall with a time of 33:44.85.  Senior Brian Joyce (142nd—34:28.74), freshman Cody Stein (156th—34:51.81) and junior Max Cordier (181th—36:00.33) rounded out the scoring pack for UE, with all four men setting new personal-best times in the 10-K event for UE.  Overall, the UE men placed 25th out of 30 teams at the regional championships.

On the women’s side, freshman Lauren Zeabart (Fort Branch, Ind./Gibson Southern) continued her late-season charge, as she paced the Purple Aces in her fifth-straight meet with a 6-K time of 23:30.10 to place 129th overall.  Senior Arrena Svoboda followed Zeabart at 166th with a time of 24:22.10. Not far behind Svoboda was sophomore Lauren Schaftlein (176th—24:33.78), freshman Kepra McBrayer (24:34.35) and junior Jaclyn Dippel (198th—25:01.91) to round out UE’s scoring pack and help the Purple Aces place 27th out of 32 schools.

Wisconsin took the first-place slot in the men’s race with Ohio State’s Jeff See coming in first individually. Notre Dame took the top spot in the women’s meet with Emily MacLeod of Michigan State placing first overall.

Saturday’s meet was the final meet for UE seniors Brian Joyce, Ethan Merkel, Courtney Heller and Arrena Svoboda.  Evansville will return 10 of the 14 competitors who competed at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships next season, however.