Cross Country Finishes Regular Season with Second and Third Place Showings

10/17/2003

RICHMOND, Ky. - The Marshall University Cross Country teams turned in an outstanding performance for their final regular season meet at the 2003 Eastern Kentucky Invitational, Friday.

The women’s squad had three top ten finishers on their way to clinching a 2nd place finish, which stands as the teams highest placing during the 2003 campaign. Leading the way for the Herd was junior Stephanie Eastman (Spencer, W.Va.) who finished 5th overall with a time of 18 minutes and 04.82 seconds. This is the Spencer natives third top ten finish of the season and also her third fifth place showing. Also contributing to the Herd’s success was Eastman’s partner in crime, senior Shelby Pride (Bethel, Ohio). Pride finished 7th overall with a time of 18 minutes and 11.13 seconds. This marks the senior’s fourth top ten finish out of the five meets competed in 2003. Rounding up the top ten finishers for the Herd was senior Varinka Barbini (Hamburg, N.J.) who finished 9th overall with a time of 18 minutes and 31.41 seconds, marking her highest performance of the season.

The men’s squad was not far behind the women’s with a 3rd overall finishing. Wrapping up a terrific regular season run for the Herd was junior Craig Swisher (Bidwell, Ohio) who finished 5th overall with a time of 26 minutes and 04.09 seconds. The finish marks Swisher’s fourth top ten finish of the season, and exemplifies him as Marshall’s top finisher of the 2003 campaign. The next two qualifiers for the Herd were junior Mike Jones (Parkersburg, W.Va.) and senior, Huntington native Eric Anderson. Jones finished in 11th place with a time of 26 minutes and 53.72, while Anderson turned in a 16th place showing in 27 minutes and 53.84.

Marshall will return to action when they head to Akron, Ohio to compete in the 2003 MAC Championship Nov.1.

For further information visit www.herdzone.com

Other finishers for the Herd:

Women’s: (5k Run 24 placing)
11th Sarah Corley 18:38.48
21st Stephanie Achilles 21:09.13
22nd Ryann Metheny 21:37.47

Men’s: (8k Run 32 placing)
21st Ryan Slone 29:58.07
25th Mathew Lucas 31:18.89
26th Andrew Watson 31:58.51