NGU Skyliner

Billy Cannada
Staff Writer

North Greenville cross country coach Micah Sepko found reason for optimism from the Crusader performances at the Citadel Invitational over the weekend.

“It was a good race,” Sepko said.” This was more of a team-building trip, but I felt like they ran well.”

The Crusader men and women finished fifth out of six teams and seventh out of eight teams, respectively, at Saturday’s Citadel Invitational in Charleston, S.C.

Six Crusader men—Andrew Mosteller, Taylor Spence, Daniel Stockwell, T.C. Ford, Justin Everett and James Lind—finished in the top 40 in the eight-kilometer race at Citadel. Mosteller, freshman youth ministry, led the way for the Crusaders, placing 23rd with a time of 30:11. Spence, junior interdisciplinary studies, claimed 33rd place with a time of 31:53 while Stockwell, junior secondary education, and Ford, senior Christian studies, finished 34th and 35th with times of 31:57 and 31:59. Lind, sophomore interdisciplinary studies, and Everett, sophomore history, were not far behind, placing 39th and 40th.

“We feel good about finishing as a group,” Stockwell said. “I thought it was a good race, but we want to get better for the next one.”

Members of the men’s team say they feel good about their progress so far this season, but they know that there is plenty of room for improvement.

“We need to learn how to use each other more and race faster as a group,” Lind said.

The Lady Crusaders averaged a five-kilometer race of 23:28 and had four runners—Anita Casey, Shana Sears, Jill Forthaus, and Ariel Seppala—in the top 50. Casey, sophomore psychology, led North Greenville, placing 20th with a time of 21:47. Sears, junior English, placed 28th with a time of 23:06 while Forthaus, freshman intercultural studies, and Seppala, senior interdisciplinary studies, were able to finish 33rd and 45th with times of 23:12 and 24:15.

Casey, who has two top-30 finishes this year, believes that she is running well, but is striving to improve.

“I want to improve more for myself,” Casey said. “I am pushing to break the top 20 this season.”

The team has been dealing with the injury bug for a good part of this early season, but Sepko has strong faith in the team’s potential.

“We have some young runners,” Sepko said. “But as the season goes on, we will get better as a team.”

The Crusaders will race again Oct. 3 at the Belmont Abbey Invitational in Belmont, N.C.

Tags: Fall 2009, Vol. 109 - Issue 4

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