Photo by: Lafayette Athletic Communications
Mountain Hawks Place Fifth At 2024 Patriot League Championship
11/2/2024 3:08:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
EASTON, Pa. – Lehigh women's cross country competed at the Patriot League championship on Saturday morning in nearby Easton, Pa. on the campus of Lafayette College. The Mountain Hawks took home a fifth place finish out of the ten competing Patriot League schools.
"We were not able to do what we had wished in a perfect scenario," said head coach Debbie Utesch. "However, the twelve people that we had in uniform today, two thirds of them are new faces from last year, and more than half of our top seven are new faces. I think the fact that we came in and finished in the same place as last year speaks volumes to our upperclassmen and the new talent we have."
Lehigh's top finisher was senior Maddison Hayes, who has led the pack for the Mountain Hawks three other times this season. She placed 19th with a 6K finish of 21:30.3.
"Maddison has done a great job of setting the tone at workouts, setting the tone at races, and setting the tone for the team in general," said Utesch. "She really battled today to try and get herself in position to make the top fourteen."
The second finishing runner for Lehigh was first-year Kaitlyn Highduch, who has enjoyed an outstanding rookie season for the Mountain Hawks. She placed 25th with a time of 21:39.7.
"Kaitlyn has had a tremendous first-year season," said Utesch. "She was the third first-year overall in the Patriot League, so she's showing as one of the top people across the league in that class."
Rounding out the top five for Lehigh was junior Lucy Afanasewicz (31st, 21:51.2), sophomore Hope Trimmer (40th, 22:05.6) and sophomore Grace Hughes (43rd, 22:11.7).
Other finishers for the Mountain Hawks included senior Savanah Beavers (45th, 22:13.3), first-year Kaya Meler (56th, 22:35.7), first-year Brenna Dahlgren (65th, 22:49.0), first-year Chloe Browne (81st, 23:20.5), first-year Elizabeth Ehrhardt (86th, 23:35.2). sophomore Aurora Wilson (89th, 23:50.0) and sophomore Elizabeth Jenulis (93rd, 24:04.5).
The Mountain Hawks placed fifth as a team, scoring 143 points on the day.
Lehigh will next compete at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional at Penn State University on November 15.
"I think we can walk out of this meet with our heads held high, but not nearly satisfied," said Utesch. "We've been regionally ranked for this second half of the season, so we're looking to prove that we belong in two weeks at regionals."
Follow Lehigh Cross Country/Track and Field on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
ÂGallery: (11-2-2024) 2024 Patriot League XC Championships
"We were not able to do what we had wished in a perfect scenario," said head coach Debbie Utesch. "However, the twelve people that we had in uniform today, two thirds of them are new faces from last year, and more than half of our top seven are new faces. I think the fact that we came in and finished in the same place as last year speaks volumes to our upperclassmen and the new talent we have."
Lehigh's top finisher was senior Maddison Hayes, who has led the pack for the Mountain Hawks three other times this season. She placed 19th with a 6K finish of 21:30.3.
"Maddison has done a great job of setting the tone at workouts, setting the tone at races, and setting the tone for the team in general," said Utesch. "She really battled today to try and get herself in position to make the top fourteen."
The second finishing runner for Lehigh was first-year Kaitlyn Highduch, who has enjoyed an outstanding rookie season for the Mountain Hawks. She placed 25th with a time of 21:39.7.
"Kaitlyn has had a tremendous first-year season," said Utesch. "She was the third first-year overall in the Patriot League, so she's showing as one of the top people across the league in that class."
Rounding out the top five for Lehigh was junior Lucy Afanasewicz (31st, 21:51.2), sophomore Hope Trimmer (40th, 22:05.6) and sophomore Grace Hughes (43rd, 22:11.7).
Other finishers for the Mountain Hawks included senior Savanah Beavers (45th, 22:13.3), first-year Kaya Meler (56th, 22:35.7), first-year Brenna Dahlgren (65th, 22:49.0), first-year Chloe Browne (81st, 23:20.5), first-year Elizabeth Ehrhardt (86th, 23:35.2). sophomore Aurora Wilson (89th, 23:50.0) and sophomore Elizabeth Jenulis (93rd, 24:04.5).
The Mountain Hawks placed fifth as a team, scoring 143 points on the day.
Lehigh will next compete at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional at Penn State University on November 15.
"I think we can walk out of this meet with our heads held high, but not nearly satisfied," said Utesch. "We've been regionally ranked for this second half of the season, so we're looking to prove that we belong in two weeks at regionals."
Follow Lehigh Cross Country/Track and Field on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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