Cobbers And Baker Keep Getting Faster

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (10/09/15)—Concordia and Kaya Baker continue to make huge strides during the 2015 season. The Cobbers placed third at the Jimmie Invitational and Baker posted another top 10 finish at the meet.

Racing against primarily NCAA Division II teams, the Cobbers posted a final team score of 94 at the meet and finished higher than five other schools from the NSIC and North Star conferences. Concordia finished with an average time of 19:45.20 which was significantly faster than when they raced at the same course in the first meet of the season on Sept. 1.

Baker has stepped into the role of the team's No.1 runner in the past few meets and continues to drop her times along the way. She finished eighth at the Jimmie Invite in a time of 18:58 over the 5k course. Baker didn't compete in the very first meet of the year but her time on Friday was the first time she finished under 19-minutes for a 5k course.

The two Cobber newcomers continue to solidify the top to middle of the CC scoring squad. Brianna Gruenberg ran a 19:31 and placed 16th while fellow freshman Sarah Kuball finished in a time of 20:01 and came home in 22nd place. Gruenberg's time is over one full minute faster than her time in the first meet of the year at the same course and Kuball shaved 44-seconds off of her time on Sept. 1.

Sarah Curran was right behind Kuball just after the 20-minut mark. Curran clocked a 20:04 and was in 25th place.

The surprise of the Cobbers for the past week has been the addition of freshman Sierra Kolle. Kolle wasn't even on the team until after the Oct. 3 Homecoming Fun Run which she won the women's competition. Kolle then joined the team and proceeded to post the fifth fastest time for the Cobbers in her very first collegiate meet. Kolle placed 28th in a time of 20:12.

Ingrid Floersheim, Maria West, Tarja Nelson, Melissa Uhrich and Andrea Schmitt were the other Concordia athletes to compete at the Jimmie Invite. All five crossed the line in under 21 minutes and all five had finishing times that were faster than their marks at the course in the opening meet of the year.

WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will now get to face Division III competition when they compete at the Crown Invite on Saturday, Oct. 17 in St. Bonifacius.