WASHINGTON – The No. 20 Georgetown University women's cross country team opened the season on a high note, besting a six-team field stacked with four ranked squads. The Hoyas won the team race, tallying 48 points over the 6,000-meter course. The men, ranked No. 25 in the preseason poll, took third in the six-team affair. The Blue & Gray tallied 67 points on the 5.2-mile course.
ON THE RECORD
"A solid start for the men. We were maybe a little too aggressive early on and paid for it in the very difficult last mile. Overall, I liked what I saw. Returners
Shea Weilbaker and
Quinn Nicholson led us and
Sean Laidlaw and
Scott Johnson had excellent openers as Hoyas. We didn't race five of our best athletes today because their track seasons went so late into the summer. They just need a little more time to train. Once those five get plugged into the lineup, I think we can be a great team. Obviously we want to win every time we line up but I had to be smart and make sure we are at our very best in the postseason. I'm looking forward to a hard training block and then lining up again in three weeks at Notre Dame with our full team." - Head Men's Cross Country Coach
Brandon Bonsey
"We are very grateful for all of the efforts of the Georgetown athletics department and university to make this season possible, and it was an honor to start the season by lining up against such strong programs in Minnesota, Michigan, Syracuse, Ohio State and host Penn State. For a smaller field, the competition was very high; we weren't sure how we would stack up but knew the women were gelling well in training. To squeak out a win against this type of field was a fun way to get things started." - Women's Distance Coach
Mitchell Baker
COMING IN HOT: No. 20 WOMEN BEST THE FIELD (1st, 48 points) - 6,000 METERS
- Maggie Donahue led the way for the Hoyas as she finished second overall, moving up four spots in the final 1,200 meters of the race.
- With Donahue providing the low stick, it was the mere 14.6-second spread between the remaining point scorers that provided the win for GU. Kiera Bothwell led the way in ninth place, followed by Sara Platek (11th), Baylee Jones (12th); and Chloe Scrimgeour (14th).
- The Hoyas bested a stacked field including No. 9 Minnesota (51 points) in second place and No. 11 Michigan (54) in third. Syracuse (4th, 91 points), No. 28 Ohio State (5th, 105) and host Penn State (6th, 132) rounded out the field.
- The Hoyas were steady through the first 4,800 meters, staying within striking distance for top 10 times. Over the final 1,200 meters, GU's top four were all able to move up, with both Donahue and Jones providing four-spot swings to push the Hoyas past the Gophers and Wolverines.
- GU Point Scorers: 2. Maggie Donahue, 20:46.2 (2); 9. Kiera Bothwell, 21:02.2 (9); 11. Sara Platek, 21:10.1 (11); 12. Baylee Jones, 21:10.7 (12); 14. Chloe Scrimgeour, 21:16.8 (14)
OPENING STRIDES: No. 25 MEN BATTLE IT OUT (3rd, 67 points) - 5.2 MILES
- Shea Weilbaker led the Hoyas with an eighth-place finish, clocking 25:28.1 over the 5.2-mile course with Quinn Nicholson (25:28.8) on his shoulder finishing ninth, providing GU a pair of top-10 performances.
- With four point scorers among the top 15, the No. 25 Georgetown men finished third (67 points), trailing the winner No. 26 Michigan (41) and Syracuse (48).
- The Wolverines managed a quintet among the top 13 while the Orange had the 1-2 punch to ensure the top spots.
- GU Point Scorers: 8. Shea Weilbaker, 25:28.1 (8); 9. Quinn Nicholson, 25:28.8 (9); 12. Sean Laidlaw, 25:37.9 (12); 14. Scott Johnson, 25:41.7 (14); 24. Owen Ritz, 25:57.8 (24)
UP NEXT
Both squads will return to action on Friday, October 1 at the Paul Short Run, hosted by Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The men will split sites that day with a contingent headed to Notre Dame, Indiana to compete in UND's Joe Piane Invitational.
