Berends Claims Great Lakes Invite Championship
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Alex Berends won for the third time in four races to start her collegiate career, topping the 367-runner field with the second-fastest time in Taylor history to win the Great Lakes Championship.
Berends turned in the best time of her young career with a mark of 17:56 to win the individual championship by 10 seconds over the next-fastest competitor and 38 seconds over the third-place finisher.
The time of 17:56 is just seven seconds shy of Taylor's program record mark of 17:49 set by NAIA All-American, Lolly York, during the 2006 campaign.
Berends has now notched the top individual finish at the Ray Bullock Invitational, the Little State Championships and the Great Lakes Invitational, while adding a third-place showing at the NAIA Preview to rack up an individual mark of 922-2 over four races to open her career.
No. 4 Taylor finished fourth in the 35-team field, despite the top finish of Berends and a team mark over 25 seconds better than any other team at the event. TU's time of 95:48 was also the seventh-fastest mark in program history and was the Trojans' third top-10 team time in program history out of four races this season.
No. 15 Shawnee State claimed the team title with a time of 96:16 but turned in the lowest point total of 122 to secure first place. The top-three was rounded out by No. 11 Aquinas (96:19) and No. 19 Indiana Wesleyan (96:22) with 131 and 135 points, while No.4 Taylor (95:48) ended with 136 points.
"This was a very tight race among the top four teams," said head coach Quinn White. "We got out very well but lost it. We need to be more competitive and must turn this into a positive for us."
Elaine Schmeltz turned in Taylor's second-fastest time of the day with a mark of 19:17 to finish in 26th, while Hannah Schroder (35th), Jenna Norris (36th), Allison Steinbeck (38th) and Anissa Richards (39th) all scored top-40 performances.
No. 4 Taylor (88-4) will return to action on November 8, when it looks to defend its Crossroads League Championship from 2013. The meet will be hosted by the Trojans on the Taylor Cross Country Course, beginning at 10:30 am.