University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
St. Vincent Invitational
Cross Country Crowned St. Vincent Invite Champs
9/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
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Men's Results | Women's Results
LATROBE, Pa. – For the second time in three week’s Pitt cross country won all its races on the weekend, this time sweeping both the men’s and women’s events at the St. Vincent Invitational.
Despite resting their top runners, the Panthers had little trouble claiming the team title in both races. The men, led by overall winner freshman Aaron Lauer, squeaked by host St. Vincent 35-38. Davis & Elkins was the next closest team in the 12-team field with 125 points.
Pitt’s women faired even better, needing just 21 points to win the team championship among 14 squads. Point Park was second with 82 points and St. Vincent rounded out the top three with 113 points.
Lauer, a true freshman, won his first collegiate race in 27:06.0 on the 8K course, and was a total of 6.6 seconds head of second place. All five of Pitt’s runners finished in the top 14. Freshman Billy Caldwell was third overall in 27:29.8.
The Panthers’ final three runners are all veterans to the running scene. Sophomore Chris Montgomery crossed the finish line in 27:49.0 for a sixth-place effort. Juniors Alex Archer (28:05.0) and Asa Equels (28:25.6) secured the win for Pitt and were just outside the top-10, in 11th and 14th place, respectively.
With competitors taking the second through fifth spots and the fifth and final scorer grabbing seventh, Pitt’s women narrowly missed out on a perfect score.
Sophomore Abby Peters was the top-Panther, navigating the 5K course in 19:53.6, 25 seconds behind winner Jenny Brewer from Alderson Broaddus. Pitt freshman earned the next three spots within a 22 second span. Ellen Crook was third in 19:55.8, Caroline DeFrank finished in 20:07.7 and Courtney Group closed out the top-five 10 seconds later.
Placing seventh was senior Lindsay Jones 20:27.1, giving the Panthers their final points of the day. Another pair of Pitt runners were close behind and had top-10 performances. Dana DelleFemine was just eight-tenths of a second behind Group, while sophomore Sarah Kochinsky was ninth in 20:39.1.
In nine total races this season, Pitt has won six of them and produced three individual winners, all coming on the men’s side. Joining Lauer is senior Cullen Davis and freshman Matt Kazanjian, who won the UB Stampede Invite and SHU Griffin Classic, respectively.
Pitt takes next week off before regrouping to race at the Notre Dame Invitational on Friday, Oct. 3.
