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Jenny Koeppel

BETHLEHEM, PA – A sixth-place finish by the University at Buffalo’s women’s cross country team against some of the best programs in the nation highlighted Saturday’s efforts at the Paul Short Invitational hosted by Lehigh University.

The Bulls scored 190 points in the women’s competition among 26 Division I schools. Southeastern Conference power Tennessee won the team title with 53 points. UB also finished behind Villanova (87), Columbia (89), William & Mary (135) and Georgetown (156). The Bulls placed ahead of Yale (223). All five of those programs, as well as Yale, are ranked in the current national top 40 poll. Villanova is the highest-ranked of the programs at number 10, according to the latest poll.

The UB women placed four runners among the top 40 finishers. UB senior Jenny Koeppel (Amherst, NY/Amherst), last week’s Mid-American Conference Women’s Runner and Scholar Athlete of the Week, placed seventh overall in the 175-runner field. Koeppel, in her first test at 6K this season, completed the Lehigh course in 20:59.05.

Jen Jezorski

Joining Koeppel among UB’s scorers was Jen Jezorski (Elmira, NY/Elmira Southside) in 21^st at 21:30.32. Kelli O’Brien (Clifton Springs, NY/Manchester-Shortsville) finished in 31^st at 21:52.79 and Aleksandra Bykowska (Poznan, Poland/Third High School of Poznan) placed 38^th in 21:58.23. Auburn’s Angela Homan won the individual title in 20:27.39, six seconds ahead of second-place finisher Marina Muncan of Villanova.

The UB men finished 16^th among 24 Division I entries. UB scored 466 points while Georgetown won the team title with 94 points, holding off second-place Villanova (101).

Dan McKenna

In the 8K race, Dan McKenna (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) was UB’s top finisher in 25:39.48 to place 77^th in the 163 runner field. Teammate Andy Wigton (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) was right behind McKenna in 79^th place at 25:40.03. Liberty University freshman Josh McDougal won the individual title in 23:43.53, 10 seconds ahead of Villanova’s Robert Curtis, the second-place finisher.

Hot and humid conditions greeted the runners on Saturday unlike last season’s meet in Bethlehem that featured cool temperatures and rainy weather. UB’s runners adjusted to the conditions with some good footing as those Bulls familiar with the Lehigh course dropped their times from 2003 by considerable margins. UB’s top two women’s finishers last season, Koeppel knocked nearly 40 seconds off last year’s 21:38.40 and moved up 11 places individually, while Jezorski shaved a full minute off her mark and moved up 45 places.

“Both groups ran very well,” said head coach Vicki Mitchell. “There were a lot kids who had very consistent results.”

The Bulls return to the Keystone State next Saturday for the LaSalle Invitational in Philadelphia. The meet starts at 3:00 pm.