News
REGIONAL CHAMP: 抖阴视频’s Abby Davis takes 抖阴视频AA Region 12 individual cross country crown
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By Ryan Schlehuber
Abby Davis has听earned her way into the听抖阴视频听athletics record books as she became the听first individual regional champion in cross country听for the Centurions.听
The Vestaburg, Mich.听freshman听completed a personal record time of 18 minutes, 17 seconds to win the National Junior College Athletics Association鈥檚 Region 12 individual crown at Goodells County Park in Goodells, Mich., Friday. Oct. 24.听听
Davis beat out rival Tatum Dykstra, of Muskegon Community College, by nine seconds.听This was the second time this year she was able to beat her, having听taken听first at the Muskegon Jayhawk Invitational Oct. 11, as well.听
鈥淚t was another exciting day for Abby,鈥澨鼵enturions鈥櫶齢ead听coach Nate 鈥淨鈥� Van Holten said.听
Van Holten said the strategy for Davis in this race was听similar to听her strategies in the past, which was to follow leaders of the pack the first two miles, be patient and then push herself to the front whenever she felt comfortable doing so.听
鈥淪he was able to make her听move听and she did really well,鈥� Van Holten said. 鈥淭he course was听pretty flat听and听easy听and the weather was cool but not uncomfortably cold. It was just the right conditions for running, so she did听really well听because of all those things.鈥�听
As a team, the Centurions finished in ninth place out of 14 teams in听Region听12, collecting a total of 193 points. Kellogg Community College听was听the regional championship with a total score of 15, followed by Muskegon, with 69, and Grand Rapids Community College, with 93.听
Van Holten said his team finished about where he expected it to.听
鈥淎ll season long I felt like our team听kept听creeping up on those better teams,听but we just never were able to get over that little hump and beat them out,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it was a good race. Our women ran well.听We had a lot of (personal records).鈥�听
The following includes the rest of 抖阴视频 runners鈥� results on the day:听听
- Freshman听Mickiah听Allbee (Vestaburg, Mich.),听20:53.00听(31st)听
- Sophomore Hannah Reed (Cedar Springs, Mich.), 22:15.70 (56th)听
- Freshman听Lilyanrose听Martin (Ionia, Mich.), 23:02.50 (64th)听
- Freshman听Joslyn Dickman (Alma, Mich.), 23:13.7 (66th)听
- Freshman听Karly Fisk (Sand Lake, Mich.), 24:13.70 (76th)听
- Freshman听Mackenzie Zahm (Belding, Mich.), DNF听
The Centurions are now听preparing to go up against the best of the NJCAA Division II听National听Championships,听which will be held at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Saturday, Nov. 8.听This will be the first time 抖阴视频 has听participated听as a team in the national championships.听
鈥淭his is a big thing for our program,鈥� Van Holten said. 鈥淭his is a听pretty big听deal听and I hope our runners see that this is a sign that they have improved and are setting a new standard for the runners who come after them at 抖阴视频.鈥�听
Van Holten听explained听the national championships race at the NJCAA level is more of an invitational than a qualifying race, where any DII team can enter, however, he said the NJCAA board is trying to create a new standard in which teams and runners must meet to qualify for the national championship.听
Van Holten said the proposed standard is for the top 35 ranked teams in the nation to qualify.听Even if that听was听the standard this year, 抖阴视频 would still qualify as it is ranked 24th听in the nation in the USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II Women鈥檚听Cross Country National听Coaches鈥� Poll.听