Full Results
IOWA CITY, Iowa. – The Fighting Illini Women's Cross-Country won the Iowa Regional Preview meet with a team score of 50 to edge out South Dakota (58) and fellow Big Ten opponents Iowa (66) and Northwestern (87). Audrey Blazek (3rd), Denise Branch (5th), Amanda Fox (8th) and Valerie Bobart (9th) each finished in the top-10 to lead the Orange & Blue.
"The most important thing today was that we had an aggressive mentality and executed our race plan well," explained Head Coach Scott Jones. "Regardless of what the outcome was, I was pleased with our approach and execution. It just so happens that the outcome helps validate the process."
A mainstay atop the team this season, Audrey Blazek finished first on the team for the third straight race this season. The red-shirt junior clocked a 6,000m time of 21:32.7 to finish third overall. The third-place finish ties her best individual finish of the season, while the time lowered her personal-record set at last season's Big Ten Championships meet.
"Audrey has been the most steady person we've had from the standpoint of both training and performance over the last couple of years," Jones said. "She just keeps doing what she's been doing, which is to train and perform at a very high level."
Like Blazek, Branch also came through the chute in a personal-best time of 21:39.3, using a 5:48 mile pace to place fifth overall. The Brooklyn, New York native has finished in the top-two on the team at all four meets this season.
Fox (8th/21:48.7) and Bobart (9th/21:50.4) came across the finish line with just over a second in between the two to round out the quartet of top-10 finishes.
Coming off of the Roy Griak Invite where Coach Jones said Fox remained too tentative, he was impressed with her bounce back performance today.
"Amanda Fox really projected herself into the race today," explained Jones. "She was tentative when we were at Minnesota and that cost her probably 40 places. But, she was the person that really set the tone for us. She was aggressive at the start, led through 2,000m, so that was very positive for us."
For Bobart, it was her first top-10 finish of the season, as she made a surge in the final 1,000m to pass nine runners and finish in 21:50.4.
"Valerie [Bobart] was our number two runner last year at the regional meet and has had that kind of ability," said Jones. "For whatever reason, she seems to grow as the season progresses. It's something that's been frustrating for her, and frustrating for me, knowing that she was capable of doing better. We knew it was going to come around, and today she performed as she's capable of."
Rounding out the point-scoring performances today was Kim Seger, placing 25th with a time of 22:26.7.
Team Scores:
1.Illinois – 50
2. South Dakota – 58
3. Iowa - 66
4. Northern Illinois – 70
5.Northwestern - 87
Illinois Results:
3. Audrey Blazek, 21:32.7
5. Denise Branch, 21:39.3
8. Amanda Fox, 21:48.7
9. Valerie Bobart, 21:50.4
25. Kim Seger, 22:26.7
37. Julia Schultz, 23:03.4
41. Diane Lipa, 23:13.5
46. Charlotte Nawor, 23:28.5
50. Megan Lemersal, 23:33.1
52. Grace Rogers, 23:39.3
57. Hanna Winter, 23:56.3
