Southeastern Excels Versus NCAA Division I and II Competition in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Southeastern University men’s and women’s cross country teams had strong showings at the 2018 UF Mt. Dew Invitational Saturday morning. The No. 24 women’s team finished 13th in all divisions while the men earned 18th overall.
“We saw some solid improvement in both teams today. They have worked really hard since Holloway and it showed today,” shared Head Coach Paul Kurtz.
The women topped NCAA Division I programs such as Tennessee Tech, Miami, South Florida, and Stetson in their finish.
For the second straight race, freshman Julia Rohm was the top finisher for the women’s team. Rohm finished 41st with a new 5K PR of 18:23.7, tied for the third-fastest time in school history.
Sophomore Raeanna Pabon was the second-fastest Fire runner, with an 18:50.5 finish that placed her 63rd. Sophomore Kelsi Ogilvie rounded out the top three for SEU in 74th place with an 18:58.4.
“The women showed that they deserve to be a ranked team and with faster courses they will be exciting to watch,” commented Kurtz.
On the men’s side, sophomore Jordan Gonzalez was the top Southeastern placer, compiling a 27:33.2 8k time and 90th place overall finish.
Freshman Christopher Pinedo came in at 113th, crossing the finish line at 28:06.5. Sophomore John Hutton and freshman Luke Kathman were nearly even as they completed the race. Hutton finished with a 28:43.5 while Kathman crossed just a half second later for 113th and 114th place finishes respectively.
“The guys looked much more confident with the 8K distance and their times are going in the right direction,” remarked Kurtz.
Both teams head to Charlotte, N.C. next Friday, as the Fire compete in the Queen City Invitational. The women’s race is set for 4:00 p.m., while the men will compete at 4:30 p.m.