Sept. 11, 2009
Harry Grove Spiked Shoe Invitational Complete Results
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Senior Elizabeth Boyle and the rest of the top runners for the Illinois women's cross country team returned to action on a rainy day at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational in University Park, Pa. Boyle crossed the finish line first for the Illini, and seventh overall, with a 6K time of 22:00. The Illini finished third out of ten teams at the invite.
The invitational at Penn State marked the first meet of the season for the majority of the top runners for the Orange and Blue. But more importantly, the meet helped the team get comfortable with the unfamiliar course that they will be revisiting in November for the Big Ten Championships.
"I thought they did a good job," cross country coach Jeremy Rasmussen said. "We went in with a plan of just trying to get a good feel for what the course is like. Our plan was to run through the first two-and-a-half miles as a group, and that's exactly what they did. They went out and ran real honest and easy for the first two to two-and- a-half miles, and then they ran a little bit harder at the end. The meet really went well."
All-American senior Angela Bizzarri finished in third for the Illini, and 11th overall, with a time of 22:16. Aside from competing, Bizzarri's other responsibility for the meet was to run alongside red-shirt sophomore Danelle Woods. Woods was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year during the 2007 season, but had to sit out last season with an injury.
"Angela did a good job," Rasmussen said. "Angela's job today actually was to go out and run with Danelle Woods and get Danelle back into what it feels like to race cross country, since it's been a while for her. She (Angela) ran with her on the hillside the whole way and really helped Danelle out."
Other standouts for the Illini at the meet were junior Chantelle Groenwoud who finished in second-place for the Illini and eighth overall with a time of 22:05, as well as Woods who finished in 12th overall and fourth for the Illini with a time of 22:16.
Individually, Cheryl Spring of Penn State was the champion of the meet, with a 6K time of 21:13, and also led her team to a first-place showing.
Next up for the Fighting Illini is the Illinois Intercollegiate Championships in Normal, Ill., on September 18 at 4:30 p.m. CT.
Illinois Results
7. Elizabeth Boyle 22:00
8. Chantelle Groenewoud 22:05
11. Angela Bizzarri 22:16
12. Danelle Woods 22:16
16. Ashley Thompson 22:39
30. Stephanie Baliga 23:28
Team Results
Penn State 33
Ohio State 47
Illinois 54
Geneseo State 117
Youngstown State 159
Buffalo 178
Grove City 193
Messiah 214
PSU Club 217
Fredonia State 305
