Taylor, Landis Take G-MAC Preview Meet Titles

There was plenty of winning to go around for Ashland University's cross country teams on Friday (Sept. 25) night at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Preview Meet at Tiffin.
 
Eagle runners came away with both individual championships, and the AU women took the team title, as well.
 
On the women's side in the seven-team 6K race, Ashland scored 22 team points thanks to having five finishers in the top nine. The host Dragons were second (65 team points), and Hillsdale (81) was third.
 
Redshirt freshman Reese Landis, in her first collegiate meet, won the individual title in the women's race, crossing the finish line in 21:46.8. Sophomore Ava Parrett finished second in a 6K PR time of 22:32.5.
 
Rounding out the Eagle top five were seniors Molly Coleman (fourth, 22:58.1) and Amandine Binet (sixth, 23:34.8), and sophomore Zuri Immel (ninth, 23:46.9).
 
Junior Wes Taylor was the indy winner in the men's 8K, finishing in 24:30.3. This is the second time in as many weeks an Eagle men's runner won a race or division of a race, as fifth-year Braeden Geist on the NCAA Division II/NAIA division at the All-Ohio Intercollegiate Classic at Cedarville on Sept. 18 – then took fourth on Friday in 24:39.1.
 
Junior Isaiah Lanoy had an 8K PR as an Eagle at 24:49.5 in placing ninth, while the AU men's top five was completed by sophomore Samuel Thomas (16^th, 25:14) and senior Colton Thress (24^th, 25:41.4.)
 
As a team, Ashland's men recorded 50 points – trailing only winner Tiffin (33) among the eight-team field. Malone was third (70).
 
In a late change to the season schedule, the Eagles' next meet will be Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational.