The GW men’s and women’s cross country teams ran at the Maryland Invitational in College Park Saturday, marking the height of mid-season competition with fifth and fourth place finishes, respectively. The host Terrapins won the men’s race, while American claimed the women’s race.
GW junior Trina Bolton assumed the Colonials’ lead in front of freshman Bridget Skeuse after trailing her closely in recent meets. Bolton finished first for GW and ninth overall with a time of 19:01.55 for the five-kilometer course. Skeuse finished alongside Bolton, earning 10th place overall with a time of 19:04.74.
“It’s very much a team effort,” Bolton said of the way teammates run in a tight pack during the races. “We run together, push each other and help each other pick up the slack when we start to reel in an opponent.”
Senior Emily Jadwin, junior Mary Beth McCullough and sophomore Meghan Dunn rounded out the women’s lineup, scoring 174 points collectively after finishing in 16th, 34th and 38th places, respectively.
Seniors Dave Azari and Darrell Andruski maintained their strong leadership of the men’s team as Azari clocked in with a time of 25:27.43 to finish 11th overall in the eight-kilometer race. Andruski, timed at 25:36.94, crossing the finish line just seconds after Azari to place 15th overall.
Freshmen Daniel Morgan, Ryan Shaver and Ian Hajek finished as the third, fourth and fifth Colonial runners, contributing to the team’s fifth-place overall finish. The men scored 212 total points after the three freshmen finished 29th, 30th and 38th, respectively.
The season’s competition continues to grow stiff as the Colonials travel to State College, Pa., for the Penn State Nationals on Saturday.