Brookings, S.D. ? The Husker women earned runner-up honors for the second consecutive year at the South Dakota State Classic Saturday in Brookings, S.D., trailing only No. 19 Minnesota, while the men earned fourth place in the team standings at Edgebrook Golf Course.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
Sophomore Ari Goldstein led a group of three Husker women’s runners that finished in the top 10 with a sixth-place clocking of 17:38.35, while senior co-captain Kim Pancoast placed right behind in seventh in 17:46.30. Junior co-captain Betsy Miller (ninth) and sophomore Natalja Zarcenko (10th) also grabbed top-10 finishes in 18:00.10 and 18:03.95, respectively, while junior Joslyn Dalton (18:16.70) rounded out the NU scoring in 17th place. All performances were career-best 5K times.
“Our women ran extremely well,” head coach Jay Dirksen said. “All of our women ran really good and it was going to take a good team to beat us and <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Minnesota is a really good team. They will do well at national level.”
Other Husker women’s runners Saturday included sophomore Jennifer Pancoast (18th, 18:17.00), freshman Sara Prince (30th, 19:03.35), sophomore Elizabeth Marsh (34th, 19:17.95), freshman Adrianne Parry (56th, 20:14.30) and junior Val Zajac (61st, 20:32.90).
A pair of sophomore led the Nebraska men’s squad to fourth place in its respective team competition. Brian Parr continued his breakout sophomore campaign by leading the Nebraska men’s team with a fourth-place effort in a career-best 25:13.05, while Kyle Custer earned 19th, also in a career-best time (25:57.25). Senior Alec Maduza, who recently was named team captain, finished his best 8K ever as the Huskers’ third runner in 23rd place (26:01.10). Senior Bryce Dickmeyer (26:25.05) and freshman Ethan Luebbe (26:40.10) concluded the NU scoring effort in 32nd and 35th places, respectively.
Junior Peter van der Westhuizen, who had led the Huskers in each previous race he had finished during his career, struggled to a 39th-place showing (26:56.10) while battling through a recurring problem with compartment syndrome.
“Peter’s still having trouble with that injury and he had to stop during the race for about three minutes,” Dirksen said. “On the positive side, the rest of our guys ran really well, especially Brian Parr, Kyle Custer and Alec Maduza. They all had great days today. We’re making some progress but we’re not as high up as we need to be.”
Nebraska will take next week off from competition before traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., for the annual Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 14.
South Dakota State Classic
Sept. 30, 2006 -- Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Results
Edgebrook Golf Course -- Brookings, S.D.
Women’s Team Scores
1. Minnesota - 18
2. Nebraska - 49
3. South DakotaState - 89
4. Northern Iowa - 104
5. Minnesota State-Mankato - 181
Top Five Finishers, School ? Time
1. Emily Brown, Minnesota?17:08.70
2. Ladia Albertson-Junkans, Minnesota?17:18.50
3. Elizabeth Yetzer, Minnesota?17:27.10
4. Jamie Cheever, Minnesota?17:27.70
5. Becka Manshiem, SDSU?17:29.80
NU Finishers:
6. Ari Goldstein?17:38.35
7. Kim Pancoast?17:46.30
9. Betsy Miller?18:00.10
10. Natalja Zarcenko?18:03.95
17. Joslyn Dalton?18:16.70
18. Jennifer Pancoast?18:17.00
30. Sara Prince?19:03.35
34. Elizabeth Marsh?19:17.95
56. Adrianne Parry?20:14.30
61. Val Zajac?20:32.90
Men’s Team Scores
1. Minnesota State-Mankato - 53
2. North DakotaState - 59
3. IowaState - 68
4. Nebraska - 102
5. Northern Iowa - 111
Top Five Finishers, School ? Time
1. Greg Liebl, North Dakota State?24:31.90
2. Kevin Born, IowaState?24:56.15
3. Dorian Ulrey, Northern Iowa?25:10.30
4. Brian Parr, Nebraska?25:13.05
5. James Krajsa, MinnesotaStateMankato?25:18.60
Other NU Finishers
19. Kyle Custer?25:52.15
23. Alec Maduza?26:01.10
32. Bryce Dickmeyer?26:25.05
35. Ethan Luebbe?26:40.10
39. Peter van der Westhuizen?26:56.10
43. Vince Sickler?27:09.40
46. Bryce Somer?27:15.50
48. Mackenzie Jeffrey?27:20.90
54. Tom Johnson?27:45.90