Mustangs run well against strong competition

LINCOLN, NEB. – The Mustangs knew that they were going to face tough competition as they prepared for the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational cross country meet, hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Morningside's women responded to the pressure, though, and placed seventh in the Gold division of the meet, which consisted of similarly sized competitors.

"Stepping out of our comfort zones once in a while is good for us," said coach Frank Wallace. "We stepped up when it mattered, and the results spoke to that."

He continued, "My coaching staff has been doing awesome work week in and week out to prepare each and every individual. It's such a mental toughness sport, and they've come a long way from the season opener."

Morningside's top finisher was Courtney Sporrer, placing 67th overall and placing higher than competitors from DI schools like Kansas, Air Force, and Nebraska. Her time of 19:11.0 placed her in the top five National Association of Intercolleigate Athletics runners.

The second finisher for the Mustangs was Courtney's elder counterpart, Taylor Sporrer, who crossed the line in 20:22.3, good to finish in the top half of the highly competitive field of 308 finishers.

London Rogge ran no. 3 for the Mustangs, crossing at 20:43.6, followed by Monica Olson at 20:53.9, and Sarah Bosch at 21:03.3 to wrap up Morningside's top five runners.

"Our women were a bit farther apart than we would've liked, but we did have a few step up and run really well," recounted Wallace. "We're taking improvements and progress where we can and building on that."

Morningside's next meet is the Briar Cliff Invitational on Saturday, October 1, at the Adams Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D.

"Today was a step in the right direction, and we will continue to improve and gain ground on the conference. We will keep working together to go in the right direction."