Women cross country finishes sixth at MVC

The Sycamore women finished sixth Sunday at the 2011 Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships. The women were chosen fifth in the pre-meet poll.

"We finished sixth with a number of people beating us that aren't as good as we are and it was very, very disappointing," Head Coach John Gartland said.

Sophomore runner Jessica Zangmeister, who finished 11th overall with a time of 18:24, just missing MVC All-Conference honors, led the Sycamores.

Running second for the Sycamores and 20th overall was senior runner Kacie Klem with a time of 18:41. Klem was one of three women to race in their last conference cross country meet of their career.

"It's bittersweet. I mean, it's what I've been working for all year," Klem said. "I'm really going to miss the girls. I think being at home makes it a lot harder as well, it really feels like the end."

"Kacie and I race really well together. We've run for two years now together, we have a really special bond I think and having her right there, or right in front of me, or behind me or next to me just really helps a lot," Zangmeister said on the benefit of racing with Klem.

Finishing third for ISU and 30th overall was junior runner Andrea Prusz with a time of 18:59. Senior runner Kristy Twitchell finished 38th overall in a time of 19:12, freshman runner Nicole Lucas finished 39th in 19:14, sophomore runner Valerie Burns finished 42nd in 19:18, sophomore runner Kalli Dalton finished 49th in 19:31 and senior runner Kelsie Slater finished 65th with a time of 20:07.

"I know we didn't get out quite as well as we should've. I can tell that just from being in it," Klem said. "But I know we've worked hard, and this team has definitely put forth an immense amount of effort and I'm proud of them regardless."

The women finished with 138 points. This year's finish joins only two other sixth place finishes of Gartland's 24 year reign. Gartland's teams have never placed lower than sixth out of the ten teams in the MVC.

"One of the things I look at as a coach is our first meet at Evansville. We had almost eight people run together, run very strong for the entire race, and we looked like a dominating team," Gartland said. "Since that time there has been a confidence erosion, and I'm not sure if that's me, if that's them, or what's happened. We just have so much more ability than we showed today."

Next up for the Sycamore cross country is the Hoosier Invitational on Friday.  Only part of the team is scheduled to travel to the meet as the others prepare for the Great Lakes Regional Meet in a couple of weeks in Toledo, Ohio.