Full Results
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini Women's Cross-Country team commenced their season tonight, September 2, with the Illini Challenge as three Illini finished inside the top-10. Junior Denise Branch led the way in fifth place, while teammates Amanda Fox and Audrey Blazek trailed Branch in sixth and seventh, respectively.
"It's always nice to get that first meet in, break up the training and assess where we are," said Head Coach Scott Jones. "We have a lot of people in new roles and we're still trying to figure out how to race and that was quite evident today. So, I was pleased with the overall effort. I think we have specific things that we can work on. We had a lot of teaching moments, so we'll be able to grow and use this as a first meet to build on."
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Branch was the first Illini to cross the finish line tonight at the UI Arboretum; timing 18:05.1 in the 5K run, good for fifth place overall. While the junior admitted she is capable of running better than she did tonight, Branch was encouraged by her opening performance.
"I like that I had a finish and I wasn't complete dead and was able to kick in [at the end]," explained Branch. "Coach [Jones] said in the last 300m, don't let anyone pass you at the end, be the passer. I didn't like that, after the second mile, I didn't push it as much as I should have and let some of the girls get away from me. But other than that, it was an okay race."
Fellow upperclassmen Fox and Blazek also got the season off on the right foot by coming through the chute in consecutive fashion this evening. Fox, coming off a year in which she sat out the cross-country season, clocked 18:07.7 to place sixth. Blazek came across on the heels of the senior with a time of 18:11.1, taking seventh.
Also placing in the top-15 of the Challenge were seniors Kim Seger and Valerie Bobart, taking 12th and 15th respectively.
In addition to Coach Jones getting an opening run for his veteran leaders, the Illini Challenge saw four Illini make their collegiate debut. Charlotte Nawor, a freshman from Highland Park, led the group of newcomers with a time of 18:59.7, while Grace Rogers, Diane Lipa and Julia Schultz also made their Illinois debut this evening.
The Fighting Illini will return to action on Friday, September 9 when they travel to Normal, Illinois to compete in the ISU Country Financial Invite. The meet begins at 5:00 p.m. central time.
"I think the team has the capability to be the best team that we've had in the last few years," said Branch. "Each meet we just need to continue to work together, push each other, and also do it in practice so that when it comes to race time, it's not foreign to us."
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Women's Cross-Country, visit fightingillini.com and following @IlliniWXC on Twitter and Instagram.
