New-Look Cobbers Kick Off 2014

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (8/29/14)—Concordia sophomore Kaya Baker started off the 2014 season by leading a new-look Cobber team at the Valley City Invite. Baker ran a 16:38.49 over the 4k course and finished in third place.

Baker's third-place finish helped Concordia place second at the season-opening meet. The Cobbers finished with 34 points which was 13 behind meet champion Jamestown.

Baker and senior Anna Sneltjes were the only Concordia runners who finished in the top 6 on the team in the same meet last season. The other four top 6 harriers for the Cobbers at the VCSU meet were all new to the top flight of the team this season. Snletjes came home in 17:22.01 and finished third on the team for CC and seventh overall for the meet.

Baker's finishing time of 16:38.49 was a big improvement over her time in 2013 at the same meet. In 2013 Baker clocked a 17:14.00 and placed 12th while being the Cobbers' No.5 team finisher.

Freshmen Sarah Curran and Kaley Hedberg, sophomore Anja Smith and senior Susan Drache all posted top 11 finishes at the very first meet of the season. Curran was the team's No.2 runner at VCSU after she clocked a 16:44.40 and placed fifth. Smith was behind Sneltjes as the No.4 athlete on the squad. She ran a 17:53.62 and recorded her first-ever collegiate top 10 finish. Drache rounded out the scoring runners for CC at the meet. Both Drache and first-year runner Hedberg were right on the shoulder of Smith heading down the stretch. Drache came away with a tenth-place finish at 17:59.65 while Hedberg was close behind at 18:04.93 and finished in 11th place.

The new-look Cobbers will continue the 2014 season when they travel south to participate in the Augustana (S.D.) Twilight meet on Friday, Sept. 5 at the Yankton Trails Park.