RESULTS: JMU Open Cross Country Meet (PDF)

NEW MARKET, Va. – Junior Gracie Piekarski paced the Longwood women's cross country team with a 27th-place finish in the Lancers' season debut Saturday morning at the James Madison Open Cross Country Meet at New Market Battlefield.
 
Piekarski, a junior and the most veteran member of the Lancers' 2015 squad, clocked a 21:14.00 on the 5,200-meter course to claim Longwood's top finish in the 78-runner field and 24th among the 33 Division I participants. Dating back to 2014, it marked the seventh straight race in which she was among Longwood's top two finishers and the fourth time in those seven races she was the first Lancer across the finish line.

"Gracie gutted it out today in torrential rain and mud," said Longwood ninth-year head coach Catherine Hanson. "She crossed the 5K mark at 20:25, which would have been one of her fastest 5K times since her freshman year."
 
Following Piekarski were sophomore Kelsey Peace in 30th place in the Division I field and junior Anna Butrowicz and freshman Judy May in 32nd and 33rd in that group. Peace logged a 23:08.50 on the waterlogged course, while Butrowicz came in at 24:56.10 and May took a 28:38.40.
 
The second-place team finish is a continuation of top-three finishes for Peace, who was Longwood's third-place finisher in every race of her freshman season behind only Piekarski and 2014 senior Elisabeth Drake.
 
The JMU Open precedes Longwood cross country's signature event next Friday, Sept. 18, when the Lancers host the Longwood/adidas Cross Country Invitational at the Longwood Golf Course. The starting gun will fire at 4 p.m. for the women, followed after their completion by the men.

JMU Open Invitational
September 12, 2015
New Market, Va. (New Market Battlefield)

Longwood Invidivudal Results (78 entries)
24.    Gracie Piekarski (21:14.00)
30.    Kelsey Peace (23:08.50)
32.    Anna Butrowicz (24:56.10)
33.    Judy May (28:38.40)

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