Women's Cross Country Wins Rust Buster Invitational

Sept. 4, 2009

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Backed by four top-10 finishes, the Air Force women's cross country team opened the 2009 season with a first-place finish at the UCCS Rust Buster Invitational on Friday, Sept. 4, at North Monument Valley Park in Colorado Springs. The men's team recorded three top-10 times to place second in the seven-team meet.

Senior Ally Romanko was the Falcons' top finisher, clocking a 4K time of 15:29. Classmate Katie Anderson finished fifth with a time of 15:32, while sophomore Elyse Willard clocked a time of 15:33 to take place sixth and senior Katie Lynch placed eighth with a time of 15:36. Sophomore Auriele Fain rounded out Air Force's top-10 finishers with a 10th-place time of 15:37. Junior Katherine Ward (15:39) and freshman Jennifer Bremser (15:45) rounded out the Air Force scorers, with respective 11th- and 13th-place finishes.

The women tallied just 33 points to better the eight-team field by 20 points.

On the men's side, senior Zach Nordahl was the race runner-up, placing second with a 6K time of 19:09. Sophomore James Walmsley finished sixth with a time of 19:23, while junior Justin Tyner placed seventh in 19:25. Sophomores Jonathan Rock (19:40) and Alex Zubey (20:05) finished 11th and 19th, respectively, while seniors Andy Schweitzer (21st, 20:09) and Austin Fritzke (24th, 20:16) rounded out the field of Air Force scoring runners.

The men accounted for 44 points, just seven points behind meet winner Colorado School of Mines.

In addition to the scoring runners, 11 other women competed at the Rust Buster Invitational, with eight finishing within the top-third of the 75-runner field. Sophomores Katie Carroll and Phaelen French finished 15th (16:10) and 16th (16:13), respectively, while six additional Air Force runners came through the finish line in consecutive places. The Air Force stretch consisted of sophomore Meghan Prinkey (20th, 16:18), freshman Morgan Mosby (21st, 16:20), sophomore Alexa Ramsier (22nd, 16:21), junior Whitney Beck (23rd, 16:28), senior Brittany Morreale (24th, 16:30) and freshman Dominique Amor (25th, 16:32). Freshman Kara Hovseth (36th, 17:08), senior Becca Burditt (42nd, 17:29) and classmate Cathy Haycraft (63rd, 19:45) rounded out the Air Force field.

The Falcons had 12 other men racing in the 86 competitor event this afternoon. Junior Tyler Small finished 28th in 20:21, while sophomores Ryan Del Grosso (32nd, 20:27) and Matthew Cain (39th, 20:50) joined freshman Jeremy Drenckhahn (40th, 20:53) finished within the top half of the field. Sophomore Nick White finished 44th with a time of 20:57, while freshman Andrew Quallio clocked a time of 21:05 to finish 47th. Six freshmen rounded out the Falcons' field, including Cory Johnson (53rd, 21:15), Seth Pelletier (54th, 21:21), Zak Boston (60th, 21:40), Edward Artz (64th, 22:01), Christopher Espinosa (70th, 22:38) and Cameron Edwards (71st, 22:39).

Air Force is off until Sept. 18, when it travels to Fort Collins, Colo., for the Colorado State Classic.

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