Michigan State University
Big Ten Championships
Spartan Women Finish 5th In Big Ten Championship Race
10/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 30, 2005
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Michigan State women's cross country team placed 5th Sunday in the Big Ten Championship race in Minneapolis, Minn. Junior Katie Kelly led the Spartans with a time of 21:53.59 for a 20th place finish.
"Katie is a constant competitor and I expected her to lead the team, but it was a joint effort because it wasn't until the end of the race that Katie led," said Head Coach Rita Arndt-Molis. "Michelle Rafferty led us the majority of the way, but that too was expected because both of these girls are very competitive."
Junior Michelle Rafferty finished 23rd with a time of 22:00.14 while teammate junior Brittany Ballard placed 26th with a time of 22:02.29. Lisa Senakiewich, Jennifer Hamilton, Michelle Mercer, and Emily Adama rounded out the top 7 runners for the Spartans with times of 22:19.44, 22:51.19, 22:59.29 and 23:33.49 respectively.
"Overall I did expect a higher finish. We have a lot of ability on this team and I didn't feel as though we executed today," Arndt-Molis said. "We came out a little timid and a little hesitant at the start of the race. We are excited about the NCAA Regionals coming up in two weeks because it will give us time to prepare to really show people what we are capable of."
Michigan State returns to action Saturday November 12 at the Great Lakes NCAA Regionals in Bloomington, Ind.
Players Mentioned
