K-State Cross Country Shakes Off Delay, Finishes Fourth and Fifth

Saturday, September 16

Lincoln, Neb.

9 a.m.

Kansas State University

Greeno/Dirksen Invite

K-State Cross Country Shakes Off Delay, Finishes Fourth and Fifth

Sep 16, 2017 | Cross Country

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By: K-State Cross Country Shakes Off Delay, Finishes Fourth and Fifth

LINCOLN, Neb. – It was a late start to Saturday's Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational due to lightning strikes in the area, but the K-State men's and women's cross country teams were able to shake off the delay and record fourth- and fifth-place finishes.

The Wildcat women finished fourth with 99 points, while the men's team totaled 105 points to place fifth. Iowa won the men's race with 29 points and South Dakota captured the women's event with 22 points.

After an hour delay, the K-State women were the first to race through Pioneer Park. Led by a pack of Wildcats, including sophomore Sydney Collins, senior Kayla Doll, freshman Cara Melgares and junior Emma Wren, the women's team was able to stick to head coach Ryun Godfrey's plan to stick together, as the women finished fourth overall.

Collins led the Wildcats with a 16^th place finish (22:47.2), followed by Doll (17^th, 22:47.2), Melgares (18^th, 22:47.2) and Wren (19^th, 22:47.3). The squad was rounded out by freshmen Kassidy Johnson (29^th, 23:57.3) Victoria Robinson (34^th, 25:56.1) and sophomore Anna Keeley (35^th, 25:21.2)

"They did a nice job of running together which was our goal for today," Godfrey said of the women's team performance. "They were able to keep each other together during the race and they've been training to do that so it worked out well."

It was a similar story for the men's team, as they were able to race as a pack throughout the 8k course, finishing fifth overall. The Wildcats were led out by a series of seniors, including Jeff Bachman (16^th, 26:36.6), Lukas Koch (18^th, 26:39.3), Colton Donahue (20^th, 26:42.1) and Brett Bachman (23^rd, 26:46.0).

"It got rough with the heat and it's not an easy course, but the guys did really well," Godfrey noted of the men's performance. "It was a good stepping stone for the next meet."

The next stop in K-State cross country's 2017 campaign takes a trip to Stillwater, Oklahoma to compete in the Cowboy Jamboree Invite on September 30.

Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational
Pioneer Park
Lincoln, Nebraska

Men's Team Finishes: 1. Iowa (29), 2. Nebraska (51), 3. Air Force (65), 4. South Dakota (97), 5. Kansas State (105).

Men's Individual Top-5: 1. Nathan Mylenek, Iowa (25:42.8); 2. Ian Eklin, Iowa (25:45.2); 3. Austin Post, Nebraska, (25:46.7); 4. Daniel Soto, Iowa (25:48.0); 5. Mark Freyhof, Nebraska (25:50.9).

K-State Men's Finishes: 16. Jeff Bachman (26:36.6); 18. Lukas Koch (26:39.3); 20. Colton Donahue (26:42.1); 23. Brett Bachman (26:46.0); 29. Nicholas Skinner ( 26:58.1); 30. Bryan Zack (26:58.1); 39. Joe Gorthy (27:28.7); 50. Sam Oxandale (28:33.8); 51. Keegan Donahue (28:38.9); 52. Noah Stevenson (28:40.3); 55. Travis Hodge (29:11.6).

Women's Team Finishes: 1. South Dakota (22), 2. Nebraska (55), 3. Iowa (78). 4. Kansas State (99), 5. Omaha (123).

Women's Individual Top-5: 1. Andrea Shine, Iowa (21:31.9); 2. Megan Billington, South Dakota (21:38.4); 3. Lindsay Joyce, South Dakota (21:50.3); 4. Laura Nelson, South Dakota (21:58.9); 5. Erin Wetzstein, South Dakota (22:01.4).

K-State Women's Finishes: 16. Sydney Collins (22:47.2); 17. Kayla Doll (22:47.2); 18. Cara Melgares (22:47.2); 19. Emma Wren (22:47.3); 29. Kassidy Johnson (23:57.3); 34. Victoria Robinson (25:56.1); 35. Anna Keeley (25:21.2).

For the latest on K-State cross country, follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter using the hashtag #KStateXC or on the team's Facebook page.