NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – The Trine University men's and women's cross country teams did battle to start the 2021 season in the Manchester Hokum Karem, a partner relay style event. There were no team scores at the meet.
Each pair competed in a six lap, six mile, relay style race with each of them alternating laps. The men's race was the same structure, but an eight lap, eight mile event.
In the women's race, the team of Carol Haldeman [Syracuse, Ind. / Fairfield] and Evie Bultemeier [Fort Wayne, Ind. / Homestead] took first place with a time of 34:24.8.
Behind them, the duo of Lydia Randolph [Jefferson, Ohio / Edgewood Senior] and Amira Faulkner [Bellbrook, Ohio / Bellbrook] placed fifth overall at 36:23.3. The junior Faulkner was paired with freshman Randolph, competing in her first collegiate event.
Chloe Goodrich [Burlington, Ind. / Carroll Jr./Sr.] and Ellie Warhoftig [The Colony, Texas / Reedy] finished just outside the top-10 in 12th at 37:53.1, the first freshman only squad to cross the finish line for the Thunder.
"The women's team battled throughout the race in several different spots," Head Coach Zach Raber mentioned. "Evie and Carol looked really good today. I thought our young girls got a good feel for our local competition as well. Our goals are geared towards success in October and November so we'll see tremendous improvement over the next few weeks."
The leading team for Trine in the men's race was Eli Lantz [Fort Wayne, Ind. / Churubusco] and Blane Johnson [Allegan, Mich. / Allegan Senior]. The freshmen duo crossed the line sixth with a time of 40:51.8.
Other top finishers for the Thunder men included the team of Noah Acker [Kendallville, Ind. / East Noble] and Aiden Lapp [South Bend, Ind. / James W. Riley] finishing in 41:06.3, as well as Joseph Packard [Kokomo, Ind. / Western] and Quinten Prieur [Constantine, Mich. / Constantine] at 41:17.8. Trine teams took spots 6-13 on the leaderboard, showcasing great depth in the program.
"The men's team did an excellent job of working together to pack run," Raber pointed out. "That was our goal going into the meet. As we continue through the season we'll get better and better. Our seniors did a great job of leading our young guys today."
The Thunder cross country program has more than two weeks to prepare for their next meet: the Mount St. Joseph Invitational at Blue River Cross Country Course in Shelbyville, Indiana. That event takes place on Friday, September 17 at 5 pm.