Cross country teams host invitational

By Michael Leek
Sports Editor

The LCC cross country teams hosted the Lansing Invitational at Grand Woods Park on Friday, Sept. 22. The men ran an 8K race while the women ran a 5K.

The Lansing Invitational was the largest cross country meet in Michigan thus far for LCC, having a total of 21 colleges and universities represented in the meet.

The LCC men finished in third place with a total of 59 points, falling short to second-place Davenport (57 points) and first-place Hillsdale (41 points).

The Lady Stars finished 10th with 253 points. Davenport won the women’s meet, finishing with a score of 43.

Alyssa Williams, a sophomore runner for the Stars, gave her opinion on the meet.

“It was nice racing against a lot of teams,” Williams said. “I never felt like I was running alone, and always felt I had someone to compete against or run with for a while.”

In the men’s 8K race, LCC’s Michael Dennis finished in second place, running a time of 25:20.2. Liam Elder (25:41.8) and Gabriel Phillips (25:49.6) followed in fourth and fifth place, respectively, for the Stars.

Jana Stiffler finished in 10th place to lead LCC, running a 5K time of 19:46. Williams was the next Star, finishing 49th with a time of 21:27.5.

LCC's Jana Stiffler conquers the last big hill at Grand Woods Park Sept. 22.  Photo by Kaitlyn Delaney

 

Williams said it was nice to compete in a home meet.

“It’s nice to run at home,” she said. “At your home course it doesn’t feel like you don’t know where you’re going, and you know the course best.”

The Stars have an unusual schedule this Friday, Sept. 29 and Saturday, Sept. 30. The St. Clair Invitational is Friday and the Louisville XC Classic is Saturday.

“We’re splitting our team,” LCC Coach Jim Robinson said. “Some of our team are going to the conference meet hosted by St. Clair and some will be going to Louisville, Ky.

“I think it is the biggest cross country race east of the Mississippi. (It) probably has around 80 or 90 colleges and universities racing, so it will give our team a chance to race against a lot of good competition before nationals.”

LCC freshman Julian Edwards is cheered on by fellow LCC athletes during the LCC Invitational at Grand Woods Park on Friday, Sept. 22.  Photo by Kaitlyn Delaney