University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, October 18
Peoria, Ill. / Newman Golf Course
1:30 p.m. Central
vs
Pink Classic
Photo by: Patrick Hart
Desotell sets program 6K record Friday at Pink Classic
10/18/2024 4:38:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Men's team sets seven total personal records
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Molly Desotell took a 33rd place finish individually and set a program record in the Red Race while the team took fifth in the White Race as part of a successful Pink Classic in Peoria, Ill. Sean McNiesh paced the Tommies in the Red Race with a personal record and 84th place finish as the team placed five runners among the top 36 in the White Race.
Desotell led the way for the Tommies in the Red 6,000-meter Race, finishing in 33rd place with a time of 21:09.7. Ava Pankratz set a personal record, finishing 49th at 21:22.4. The Tommies had three more runners — Elsie Kmecak, Sophie Yetter, and Olivia Pauly — who all set personal records, with Kmecak clocking in at 22:05.8, Yetter at 22:15.3, and Pauly finishing in 22:22.9. The Tommies placed 15th of 32 competing teams.
At the top of the White Race for St. Thomas, Natalie Cocking finished 31st with a personal record time of 23:02.28. Lauren Ellefson followed closely in 39th with a time of 23:17.41, while Hannah Dumansky set a personal record in 40th at 23:18.53. Rounding out the top five, Ann Boland and Libby Schmidt also recorded personal bests, helping the Tommies to a fifth-place finish behind Indiana State, Missouri State, Kentucky and Northwestern.
In the Red 8K Race, junior Sean McNiesh led the Tommies, finishing 84th with a personal record time of 24:51.09. Sophomore Adam Lueth and freshman Kai Liljequist followed closely behind with times of 25:10.65 and 25:23.13, respectively. Three personal bests were set including McNiesh, Lueth and freshman Ben Stricker as the team took 22nd of 29 teams.s
In the White Race, sophomore George Edgar led the way with a time of 25:54.63, placing 27th overall. Isaac Nowack (26:08.05) in 36th, Jonah Pearson (26:11.83) in 38th, and Ethan Starfield (26:50.00) also recorded personal bests. The Tommies placed fourth behind Xavier, Kentucky and Loyola (Ill.).
QUOTEABLES
Head Women's Cross Country Coach Ashley Lucas following the Pink Classic:
""I'm incredibly proud of how the women performed today. Nine of the teams that finished ahead of us are regionally ranked, which shows the strong competition we faced. The team is continuously gaining confidence and embracing a 'we over me' mindset. With numerous personal bests today, we're really hitting our stride and are excited for what's ahead in the next two weeks. A special congratulations to Molly Desotell for breaking her school record—it was a great day to be a Tommie!"
Head Men's Cross Country Coach Pete Wareham after Friday's races:
"We've faced some challenges this season with injuries, but we've also seen strong performances from several runners. Sean McNiesh has been leading the way with his toughness, and Kai Liljequist has been stepping up as a first-year athlete. I was particularly impressed with the competitive spirit in the White Race today—George Edgar moved up well throughout the race, Jonah Pearson had his best race of the season, and Isaac Nowak ran tough. Blake Burnstad also did a great job holding his position up front for much of the race. With only one senior and one junior running today, we're gaining valuable experience with each race. Now, we're focused on fine-tuning as we head into the Summit League Championship."
UP NEXT
The women will send runners to Rocky's Run Oct. 25 in Falcon Heights. The full men's and women's teams will compete again Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Summit League Championships in Vermillion, S.D.
The women will send runners to Rocky's Run Oct. 25 in Falcon Heights. The full men's and women's teams will compete again Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Summit League Championships in Vermillion, S.D.
FOLLOW ALONG
For more information on St. Thomas Cross Country, follow along on X (formerly Twitter) at @TommieXCTF. For more information on St. Thomas Men's and Women's Cross Country, follow along on Instagram at @tommiemtfxc and @tommiewxctf
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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