Poets run to second place finish in SCIAC Multi-Duals
Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College women's cross country team continues to run well this season as they finish 2nd in the SCIAC multi-duals only falling to No. 4 Claremont-M-S.
The No. 31 nationally ranked lady poets held off a strong challenge by Occidental to match their 2010 SCIAC record at 6-1. With 1000m remaining in the 6000m race, Occidental was positioned for the upset of the Poets but several sprints to the finish were won by a pack of Whittier runners closing out a 25-30 dual meet win.
The sole Whittier loss came against the nationally ranked Athena's of Claremont-M-S who took 10 of the top 20 place-finishes against the entire SCIAC field.
But the Poets finished best of the rest with three top 20 finishers in Michele Callaway, Christine Verduzco, and Eva Aguilar.
Callaway, who continues to run into the Whittier record books finished in 10th place with a time of 23:00.23, while fellow teammate Verduzco finished in 14th with a time of 23:08.31.
Augilar who had one of her best finishes this season rounded out the top 20 finishing in 20th with a time of 23:39.54.
But not to be overlooked was the rest of the Whittier runners who helped make that final push against Occidental to secure the No. 2 finish overall. Sofia Garcia, Candace Wray, and Jamie Slingluff finished strongly as they finished in 23rd, 24th, and 26th.
Whittier looks poised to continue their strong results as they travel to Prado Regional Park located in Chino Hills, Calif., Saturday, October 29 to take part in the SCIAC Championships as they look to upset the Athena's of Claremont-M-S and move up in the national rankings.
