Trine Women's XC Wins Calvin Invitational

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.  --  The Trine University women's cross country team capped its fall season with a win at the three-team Calvin (Mich.) University Invitational in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Thunder ended the afternoon with a team score of 25 points to take top team honors.  Host Calvin was second with 33 points and Adrian (Mich.) College was third with 85 points.

Trine had six runners finish in the top-10 led by senior Evie Bultemeyer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) who paced the field of 37 runners with a time of 21:43.46.  Fellow senior Megan Theismann (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) crossed the finish line in third place after navigating the 6k course in a time of 22:01.06.

The Thunder then took sixth thru ninth places with senior Elizabeth Lohman (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) running a time of 23:00.65 to finish sixth.  Sophomore Amira Faulkner (Bellbrook, Ohio/Bellbrook) followed in seventh place after completing the course in a mark of 23:11.77.  Junior Chloe Brittain (Wheeler, Mich./Breckenridge) had a time of 23:15.08 and sophomore Alli Smith (Temperance, Mich./Bedford Senior) had a time of 23:15.08 to take eighth and nine place, respectively.

Freshman Carol Haldeman (Syracuse, Ind./Fairfield) rounded out the top times for the team at 23:30.59 which was good enough for 11th place.

"All the way around, I'd say that could be the best race our women have ever run," said Head Coach Zach Raber.  "We just looked really solid all the way down the line.  Evie and Megan really worked together nicely up front and that pack of Amira, Chloe and Carol is so fun to watch.  They just cling to each other and keep moving up throughout the race.  Of course, Alli and Elizabeth had top notch races as well.  Really a great day for the women."