During the home JK Gold Classic meet on Saturday morning, Wichita State cross country runners Sarah Bertry and Yared Kidane placed top 10 during their debut races for the team.
Bertry, a senior, finished in sixth place in the women’s 5K, setting a time of 17:37.72, breaking senior Lucy Ndungu’s record pace set last year at 17:42.50. Kidane, a junior, finished in third place during the men’s race, setting a time of 18:13.28, his collegiate best time during a 6K race.
Head coach Kirk Hunter said the best aspect of running a meet at home is that friends and family get a chance to cheer the team on and the teams get a chance to practice for the American Athletic Conference Championship in November, which will also be hosted in Wichita.
“They live on it, they know it real well,” Hunter said. “So it’s a big deal for them to be able to run on their own course.”
The WSU men took home first place out of 13 teams with 46 points overall and the women’s team finished in third place out of 10 teams with 72 points.
The men’s team finished on top of conference rival University of North Texas (73 points), who was seventh at the conference championship last season. The University of Tulsa won the women’s race, scoring a perfect 15 points and landing the first through fifth positions, with North Texas behind at 70 points.
Tulsa finished fourth in the conference last year, and North Texas was 13th.
Men’s race
During the men’s race, senior Adam Rzentkowski ran unattached for the Shockers and finished with a time of 18:04.09. Since Rzentkowski ran unattached to maintain eligibility for track and field season, he did not qualify for the final standings despite setting a faster time than Kidane.
Kidane said he planned to stay with his team during the half of the race. In the last 3K, he picked up the pace, resulting in his podium finish.
“That was a really good race, considering he hasn’t been training very long,” Hunter said. “He had a long summer of racing for his country … he’s not fit yet and for him to open up that way, it’s the best opener he’s ever had in his life … That guy is going to be really good. He’s a talent.”
The next top runners from Wichita State finished in 11th through 16th place overall. Junior Cesar Ramirez came in 11th place, setting a time of 18:29.29, and redshirt freshman Ian Schram set a time of 18:29.70, less than a second off Ramirez’s pace and good for 12th place.
Redshirt freshmen Colin Graham and Landen O’Neill finished in 15th and 16th place, respectively. Graham set a time of 18:35.29 and O’Neill set a time of 18:36.43.
Women’s race
Bertry was right behind the pack of Tulsa Golden Hurricanes in her sixth-place finish, missing out on the top five by less than a second.
Bertry said she felt good about her performance in her debut for the Shockers, despite having a knee problem.
“I didn’t want it to go and start crazy,” Bertry said. “I felt like I could’ve raced faster, but I didn’t. I wanted to be conservative.”
The next four women’s runners for Wichita State finished between 11th and 21st place. Senior Jenna Muma finished in 11th place, setting a time of 18:07.79, and freshman Faith Ekart set a time of 18:20.86, good for 16th place.
Sophomore Isabelle Hartnett finished in 18th place, setting a time of 18:23.03, and freshman Emily See finished in 21st place after setting a time of 18:43.88.
“Faith is doing really well,” Hunter said. “Emily made a step forward. So, I think that freshman group is really good, and I’m really proud of them. I think they’re going to be a big part of our year.”
After the podium finishes for Wichita State’s men’s and women’s cross country teams, they will shift focus to the Gans Creek Classic, hosted by the University of Missouri, on Friday, Sept. 27. The men’s 8K starts at 8 a.m. and the women’s 6K starts at 8:45 a.m.
