EMU Cross-country teams
It was all smiles for the women who helped EMU to a perfect team score: (l-r) Hannah Chappell-Dick, Katie Eckman, Lanae Kreider, Jolee Paden and Kat Lehman. (Photo by Scott Eyre)

EMU men, women claim top spot at Shenandoah Invitational

The Eastern Mennonite University women’s cross country team finished with the lowest possible team score, winning the meet, while the EMU men also brought home top honors at the Shenandoah Valley Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 20. Both teams will run at the NCAA D-III Pre-Nationals next Saturday, Sept. 27, in Mason, Ohio.

EMU Women Perfect With Top Five Finishers

So this is what they are capable of.

Running with a full team on Saturday, the Eastern Mennonite women were perfect. Literally. The Royals charted the lowest possible team score with 15 points, and won the Shenandoah Valley Invitational over co-host Bridgewater College, who had 40.

EMU’s women were not at full strength in their only other meet so far this season, taking third at the ODAC Preview on Aug. 29.

Although assistant coach Breanna Newton actually won the individual title on Saturday, the Royals had the top five collegiate runners. Freshman Kat Lehman (Dover, Ohio/Dover) led the way, cruising in with a time of 19:27 on the 5k course. Running in her first race of 2014, Hannah Chappell-Dick (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton), an NCAA nationals participant last year, was next with a time of 20:03.

Lanae Kreider (Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) cruised in at 20:14 followed by Katie Eckman(Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) in 20:17. Jolee Paden (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Odgen), who also missed the ODAC Preview, rounded out the scoring five in 20:31.

The dominating performance helped EMU easily beat Bridgewater, the defending ODAC champions, who are ranked No. 2 in the South/Southeast Region. The Eagles had a pack of five runners do their scoring, and they all finished 28-33 seconds behind Paden. The Royals had not been listed among the top 10 teams in the region so far this year, but should expect to appear on the list this week.

Mary Eldridge (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) and Hannah Patterson (Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International) finished EMU’s top seven. Eldridge was 18th in 21:24 while Patterson was 21st in 21:27.

Men Top Bridgewater And Win Shenandoah Valley Invite

Sophomore Alec Thibodeaux had a great race for the men and crossed second. (Photo by Scott Eyre)
Sophomore Alec Thibodeaux had a great race for the men and crossed second. (Photo by Scott Eyre)

With the way they looked on Saturday, you wouldn’t have known that the EMU men hadn’t run a competitive race in three weeks. The Royals landed the top three finishers at the Shenandoah Valley Invitational in Elkton, Va., and beat co-host Bridgewater College, the No. 1 team in the South/Southeast Region.

Senior Ryan Gehman (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) headed the charge, as he earned the gold medal as the top finisher. Gehman crossed the four-mile course on Elk Run Trails in 21:03, a full 16 seconds ahead of his nearest competition.  His nearest racer turned out to be a teammate inAlec Thibodeaux (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance), who took silver in 21:19.  Jacob Landis (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) was right behind him, taking third in 21:24.

Bridgewater had the next six finishers, but EMU rounded out their scoring with Jesse Parker(Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) landing 10th in 22:03 and Jonathan Nisly (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) in 12th at 22:06.

Jordan Leaman (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) was 14th in 22:17, with Jared Nisly (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) taking 21st in 22:25. Tyler Denlinger (Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) was just a few steps behind his teammate in 22nd at 22:28.

Eastern Mennonite totaled just 28 points with their top five runners, edging past the Eagles who had 30. After winning the South/Southeast Regional Meet last fall, BC has been ranked No. 1 in both rankings so far this year. The Royals charted at No. 8 this past week.