September 5, 2009
Grove City wins California Invitational
BELLE VERNON, Pa. -- The Grove City College women's cross country team opened its 2009 season by winning the California (Pa.) University Invitational Saturday morning at Willowbrook Golf Course. The Wolverines collected just 54 team points in winning the championship. Host California took second with 66 points.
Grove City placed five runners in the top 20 Saturday, including three freshmen. Freshman Ella Smith (Becker, Minn./Becker) led Grove City with a fourth-place finish in the 108-runner field. Smith completed the course in 19 minutes, 14 seconds. Fellow freshman Sara Fisher (Jefferson, Md./Brunswick) earned sixth place with a time of 19:20.
Junior Emily Pierce (Lisbon, N.Y./Lisbon Central) took eighth in 19:29 while fellow junior Brigitte Fryan (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) placed 17th (20:13). Freshman Mary Kate Breese (Mercer, Pa./Mercer) earned 19th with a time of 20:25.
Senior Rachel Nelson (Dover, Mass./Lexington Christian) placed 24th in 20:43 while freshman Mary Seward (Elizabethton, Tenn./Science Hill) took 26th in 20:52.
Grove City will compete in the Penn State Spiked Shoe Invitational Friday afternoon, September 11.