Results
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -
Sarah Edens is looking to make it back-to-back Sunshine State Conference Runner of the Week accolades after posting the third-fastest time in Embry-Riddle women's cross country history on Saturday at the University of Florida's Mountain Dew Invitational. Edens finished 11th overall, the second-fastest non-DI, in 17:30.7, helping the Eagles to a seventh-place finish overall, second among non-D1 teams at the meet.
Edens bettered her previous career-best time by nearly a minute (18:22.61 at Sand Shark Invitational - Oct. 22, 2016) on Saturday, and joins Eagle All-American Ellie Staker as the only Eagle runners in program history to post a 17:30 or better 5K time. Edens also finished just three seconds behind the top non-D1 finisher Heloise Duffie De Tassigny of Flagler, trimming 23 seconds off their difference from last week's ASICS Embry-Riddle Classic.
Edens was followed by
Kristen Metcalfe who placed 19th overall in her first race of the season with a time of 17:48.4, putting her fifth all-time in program history.
Kara Funke's time of 18:26.8 was good for 43rd overall and 14th on Embry-Riddle's top-20 fastest times list.
Mikaela Hakamaa (52nd) ran the race in 18:39.8, narrowly missing out on a top-20 all-time result and
Alex Orr (100th - 19:23.5) rounded out the Eagle scorers.
Edens moved up to second on ERAU's fastest runner list, trailing only Staker, while Metcalfe became the third-fastest runner in program history, and Funke, the seventh-fastest. Hakamaa's time was good for 12th on the fastest runner list.
The Eagles posted 207 total points for their seventh-place finish, while Tampa claimed the non-D1 crown with 179 points. ERAU beat NCAA I members UCF, Jacksonville, Florida Atlantic, Tennessee Tech, Miami, South Florida and Stetson.
Also running for the Blue and Gold were
Rachel Jones (107th - 19:31.6),
Josie Gray (111th - 19:38.0),
Ukeyvia Beckwith (117th - 19:48.8), Maggie Allen (133rd - 19:59.1),
Kaitlyn Buck (154th - 20:27.5),
Megan Fletcher (155th - 20:29.2) and
Sara Towers (173rd - 21:08.7). Jones, Beckwith, Allen, Buck, Fletcher and Towers all ran career-best times.
The Eagles will head to Charlotte, North Carolina next weekend for the Queen City Invitational on Friday, Sept. 28. The meet will be held at McAlpine Creek Park.
