TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Four runners posted their best 6K times of the season with
Karley Piers (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth HS) leading the Eagles for the third time this season as the FGCU women's cross country team placed 22
nd overall at the FSU Pre-National Meet on Friday morning at Apalachee Regional Park. Piers paced the Green and Blue pack finished 93
rd overall in 22 minutes, 42.5 seconds among the 294 runners and 29 teams entered into the field.
"I'm really happy both teams got to experience a meet of this caliber. The environment was really special," said head coach
Cassandra Goodson. "The race conditions and weather were not ideal for fast times. I'm happy with the team's effort and it was a solid performance from both men and women. Most of our group improved their time on this course from last time we competed here just four weeks ago. They are headed in the right direction."
Tennessee won the 6K Open with 67 points, while Texas took second (122 points) and Florida State placed third (152 points). The Eagles finished with 623 points in the highly competitive field and were just a point behind FAU while beating FIU and South Florida.
Piers shaved 18 seconds off her 6K time from the FSU Open which was FGCU's last competition nearly a month ago.
Blake Petrick (St. John's, Fla./Creekside HS) and
Reilly Ritter (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca HS) had two of the best improvements in their 6K times. Petrick placed 160
th in 23 minutes, 43.8 seconds which was nearly a minute faster than her previous race on the Apalachee course. Ritter shaved nearly 90 seconds off her previous time at the park to finish 197
th in 24 minutes, 28.3 seconds.
Mary McCullough (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista HS/Colorado Mesa University) crossed third for the Eagles in 23 minutes, 46.3 seconds to place 165
th, while
Maricel Esquilin (Bonita Springs, Fla./Estero HS/Stetson) was the final scorer placing 230
th in 25 minutes, 16.3 seconds which was 18 seconds faster than her previous mark.
Gianna Citarella (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional HS) also raced with a time of 25 minutes, 55.6 seconds to finish 242
nd.
The Eagles will head to the ASUN Championship in Orlando, Fla., at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Saturday, October 30.
TOP 10 TEAM FINISHES:
1. Tennessee - 67
2. Texas - 122
3. Florida State – 152
4. Northern Arizona - 169
5. Utah -195
6. Northeastern - 230
7. Cincinnati - 232
8. Delaware - 239
9. Kentucky - 252
10. Charlotte - 268
22. FGCU - 623
FGCU LINEUP:
For complete coverage of the FGCU men's and women's cross country programs, follow the Eagles on Twitter and Instagram at @FGCU_XC, on Facebook (@FGCUXC), and online at
www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign-up to have news on FGCU cross country or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting
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COACH GOODSON
FGCU is led by Cassandra Goodson, whose 13 seasons at the helm have taken the Eagles from their humble beginnings to a competitive D-I program, highlighted by eight trips to the NCAA South Regional Championship. Every mark in the FGCU all-time record book has been etched during the Goodson era, as she has coached 22 ASUN All-Conference selections, the 2013 Female Conference Runner of the Year and three members of the NCAA South All-Region Team.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 85 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 42 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 21, 2020-21), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 24 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, 2020 Fall, and 2021 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
