X Country Takes Fifth at NCAA Regionals

By Abby Norman for WVUsports.com
November 09, 2012 03:43 PM

Sarah-Anne Brault

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Led by NCAA Championship individual qualifier Sarah-Anne Brault, the West Virginia University cross country team took fifth place at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, Friday afternoon, in State College, Pa., at the Blue and White Golf Course.

“I am so proud of this team,” coach Sean Cleary says. “Exceptional is the best word to describe how we ran this afternoon. The five scorers today ran lifetime bests and what more can we possibly ask of them? With Sarah-Anne (Brault) qualifying for the national finals in addition to having the first two freshmen cross the line in Kelly (Williams) and Sydney (Scott) will keep us very hungry and optimistic for the future.”

The Mountaineers finished with 111 points for fifth out of 31 teams, while meet host and No. 15 Penn State won the event with 61 points, edging out No. 9 Georgetown, who took second with 63 points. No. 25 Villanova finished in third with 96 points, while Princeton finished fourth with 101 points.

Brault will compete at the NCAA Championships for the third year in a row after coming in seventh place with a 6k time of 20:35. Brault also received All-Region honors for the third year in a row, along with freshmen Kelly Williams and Sydney Scott. Williams and Scott were the second and third Mountaineers to cross the line with a 22nd and 24th place finish with 6k times of 21:20 and 21:21, respectively.

Sophomore Savanna Plombon followed closely behind with a 27th place finish and a 6k time of 21:34, while junior Sarah Martinelli finished just outside the top 30 at 31st with a personal-best 6k time of 21:38.

Seniors Jordan Hamric (65th-22:18) and Aubrey Moskal (77th-22:39) also finished strong at the regional meet.

Brault moves on to the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday, Nov. 17 with the race slated to begin at noon.

Women’s 6k race
1. Penn State-61
2. Georgetown-63
3. Villanova-96
4. Princeton-101
5. West Virginia-111
6. La Salle-113
7. Navy-202
8. Penn-297
9. Duquesne-308
10. Delaware-340
(with 21 other teams participating)

West Virginia
Sarah-Anne Brault … 7th ... 20:35
Kelly Williams … 22nd … 21:20
Sydney Scott … 24th ... 21:21
Savanna Plombon … 27th … 21:34
Sarah Martinelli … 31st …21:38
Jordan Hamric … 65th … 22:18
Aubrey Moskal … 77th … 22:39

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