HOLLAND, MICH. -- Senior Kyla Binfet (Branson, Mont./West Yellowstone) placed third overall to lead the Trine University women's cross country team at the annual Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Jamboree hosted by Hope (Mich.) College in Holland, Mich.
The Thunder ended the event with an overall team total of 92 points to place third out of eight teams. Host school Hope took the title with 34 points and Calvin (Mich.) College was second at 48 points.
Binfet's individual finish (third) was the highest a Trine individual has finished in the MIAA Jamboree in program history. She paced the Thunder with a finishing mark of 22:38.4 and set a school record by over 12 seconds in the 6k. Earlier this season, Binfet tied the all-time school mark, but now surpasses Gabbie Bates who also held the previous record at 22:50.7 which she ran during the 2012 season.
Two other runners placed in the top-20 indiviudally for Trine in freshman Evonne Bultemeyer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) and junior Hannah Blystone (Carmel, Ind./Carmel). Bultemeyer crossed the finish line in a time of 23:37.9 which was good enough for 18th place overall. Blystone completed the course in a time of 23:50.2 and finished in 20th place.
Junior Lacie Piekarksi (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake) had the fourth quickest time for the Thunder of 24:02.8 to place 22nd and freshman Elizabeth Lohman (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) ran a time of 25:47.5 and finished 29th to round out the individual times that qualified for towards the overall team score.
Also competing for Trine were freshmen Ruth Luebcke (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) and Stacy Dibley (Bristol, Ind./Elkhart Central). Luebcke placed 30th overall with a time of 25:49.2 and Dibley ran a time of 27:04.5 to finish 42nd.
"The girls ran a great race," said Head Coach Zach Raber. "Kyla Binfet continued her string of great races by placing 3rd overall. That's the highest finish by a Trine woman in the MIAA ever. Kyla, Evie Bultemeyer, Hannah Blystone and Ashton Benson all had personal bests on a really tough day."
Trine will next compete in the Louisville Cross Country Classic next Saturday, Sept. 30 in Louisville, Ky.
