Cross Country

The Wildcats proved they are nowhere near their collective ceiling on Friday, as all nine NU runners participating at the Grand Valley State Big Meet in Allendale, Michigan set new personal records.

Sophomore Jena Pianin set two personal bests on the day in two different races. She snagged second in the one-mile race with a time of 4:49.81 and ran 2:15.08 in the 800m.

Fellow sophomore Andrea Ostenso finished hot on Pianin’s tail in the one-mile for her own personal best of 4:52.18. The two All-Region runners from the fall cross country season showed well in the race, with Ostenso finishing third.

Ostenso also ran part of the 3,000m, setting an early pace for junior Rachel Weathered before dropping out. Weathered used that push to set a personal best in the distance with a time of 9:52.12, good for 10th in the race.

Freshman Isabel Seidel narrowly missed the five-minute barrier in the one-mile but still set a new personal best with a 5:02.14 finish. Junior Renee Wellman set a new best in the 3,000m at the meet, while sophomore Ellen Schmitz and juniors Allison Jacobsen, Megan O’Brien and Mallory Abel all set new personal records in the 5,000m at the meet.

Coach April Likhite had spoken before the meet about mixing training with rest. With the results from the Grand Valley meet, that balancing act is working its wonders.

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