September 6, 2003
CROWDER,
HARDING TAKE HOME SYCAMORE PRIDE CROWNS
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Senior Jessica Crowder and junior Aaron Harding each took home first place as Indiana State’s men’s and women’s cross country teams kicked off the 2003 season with the Sycamore Pride Alumni Intrasquad meet on Saturday morning at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
Crowder, who won the 2000 event with a time of 15:27.50, won easily this year with a time of 14:17.80, the fastest women’s time at the Sycamore Pride meet since the distance changed from 5K to 4K in 1999. Her next closest competitor was freshman teammate Maile Venable, who finished 42 seconds behind Crowder with a time of 14:59.80.
“I was really impressed with Jessica,” ISU women’s head coach John Gartland said. “She has looked good in practice, but I didn’t know she was quite this fit. She just looked very, very impressive.”
With 34 total competitors on the women’s side, the 2003 Sycamores took home spots 1-6 and nine of the first 10. Sophomore Sarah Jarvis finished third at 15:05.70, while fellow freshman Dani Prince came in fourth with a time of 15:10.00.
“Our 2-5 gap was much better today than last year,” Gartland said. “Those spots are important for our team hopes.”
On the men’s side, Harding won by nearly 10 seconds over Butler’s Adam Hill. Harding finished with a time of 16:10.90, while Hill came in with a 16:20.10 mark. The 2003 Sycamores took the next four spots with just 24 seconds separating them.. Junior Dustin Strosnider took third with a time of 16:20.70, while sophomore John Nay was fourth at 16:26.80. Sophomore Jordan Fife was fifth with a time of 16:32.00 and senior Josh Kendall took sixth with a time of 16:44.30.
“I was very pleased with the effort today,” ISU men’s head coach John McNichols said. “Aaron ran smart and it was nice to see the next four runners so close together. I expected to see the people at the front that finished at the front.”
The Sycamores will compete in the Bradley Invitational next Friday in Peoria, Illinois.