Roy Griak Final Results

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Coming off a win at the Illinois State Invite over a week ago, the Fighting Illini women's cross country team took to the course at the Roy Griak Invite on Saturday, Sept. 29. Illinois finished 18th in the deepest field it has faced so far this season.

"I think it was an important experience for us since we haven't faced this level of competition before," explained Scott Jones. "Despite the fact we had things going against us, I saw a lot of fight in the team. Even when things don't go our way, I still see the effort put forth. I was pleased with our competitive spirit."

For the third-straight meet, Alyssa Schneider set the pace for the Illini. She finished 58th in the field of 390 runners, completing the race in 22:30. Shelby Houlihan of Arizona State took the individual title, completing the 6-kilometer course in 20:35.

"Alyssa really put herself right up there in the heat of the race," stated Jones. "We wanted her to be in that situation where she was challenged. Unfortunately, she ran out of gas with about one kilometer to go."

Amanda Fox was the second runner into the chute for the Illini, finishing in 91st with a time of 23:05. Hanna Winter completed the course in 110th-place with a time of 23:18, the third best performance from a runner wearing an Illinois uniform. Valerie Bobart (23:50) and Britten Petrey (23:50) were fourth and fifth for the Orange and Blue, finishing 149th and 150th, respectively. Chloe Schmidt (167th – 24:10) and Megan Lemersal (208th – 24:46) rounded out Illinois' top seven.

"Hanna and Valerie can take a lot of confidence out of today," said Jones. "We are going to be counting on them going forward and this should help them feel excited about the rest of the season."

Michigan State, the third-ranked team in the nation, won the team title with 66 points. Iowa State was second with 102 points, while North Carolina was third with 174. Boise State (185) and Baylor (204) rounded out the top-five teams.

"Today was our starting point for improvement," proclaimed Jones. "This experience will help guide our training going forward. With having the luxury of not having to race for a few weeks, we're going to practice hard over with our eye on those November races."

The Orange and Blue will step away from competition until Friday, Oct. 17. On that day, the Illini will head to Peoria, Ill. to take part in the Bradley Invite. The women's race is scheduled to begin at 5:05 p.m. CT.

ILLINOIS RESUTLS (out of 390)
58. Alyssa Schneider, 22:30
91. Amanda Fox, 23:05
110. Hanna Winter, 23:18
149. Valerie Bobart, 23:50
150. Britten Petrey, 23:50
167. Chloe Schmidt, 24:10
208. Megan Lemersal, 24:46
291. Lindsey Rakosnik, 25:05
322. Kim Seger, 25:50

TEAM RESULTS (out of 35)
1. Michigan State - 66
2. Iowa State - 102
3. North Carolina - 174
4. Boise State - 185
5. Baylor - 204
6. Arizona State  - 222
7. Minnesota - 225
8. Vanderbilt - 237
9. BYU - 271
10 Grand Valley State  -  291
18. ILLINOIS - 558