6K Proves tough at UNL
By: Skylar Nosker
Issue date: 9/21/07 Section: Sports
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The Cloud County women's cross country team went into the Nebraska Invitational unexperienced.
The women had to tackle the 6K course for the first time this season. Not only did the women have to run the longer course, but they had to run in a larger crowd, as there were 223 runners at the invitational.
"Running a 6K was tougher than the usual race but once you found your rhythm it wasn't all that bad," freshman Danielle Cope said. "Running with 222 other people was crazy. You could feel the ground shaking with every step and hear everyone's footsteps. Like Cheyenne Niehues said, 'Now we know what it's like to be part of a stampede.'"
Cope was the first Thunderbird to cross the finish line as she finished 89 in the college division and 135 overall. She ran the course in 26:10. Cope also had some problems adjusting to the length of the course.
"It was somewhere between the three thousand and four thousand meter mark, and I was past worn out and tired and I just tripped on my own two feet. I ended up rolling in the dirt and I'm pretty sure I lost a few spots and a few seconds," Cope said.
Right behind Cope was sophomore Cheyenne Niehues. Niehues ran the course in 26:51 and finished 111. Sophomores Laura Shumard and Allee Gillespie finished within two minutes of Niehues, taking 118 and 124 respectively. Sophomore Erica Burgess finished the race in 134 place in 32:33.
"They competed fairly well. Running a 6K like that is a pretty good challenge for them. We'll find out more at Emporia and we can kind of tell where they're at," Coach Harry Kitchener said.
The Thunderbirds finished in 20th out of 21 teams in the college division with 576 points. They finished 23rd out of 24 teams overall with 681.
Up next for the Thunderbird women is at Colorado Springs tomorrow at 10 a.m.
The women had to tackle the 6K course for the first time this season. Not only did the women have to run the longer course, but they had to run in a larger crowd, as there were 223 runners at the invitational.
"Running a 6K was tougher than the usual race but once you found your rhythm it wasn't all that bad," freshman Danielle Cope said. "Running with 222 other people was crazy. You could feel the ground shaking with every step and hear everyone's footsteps. Like Cheyenne Niehues said, 'Now we know what it's like to be part of a stampede.'"
Cope was the first Thunderbird to cross the finish line as she finished 89 in the college division and 135 overall. She ran the course in 26:10. Cope also had some problems adjusting to the length of the course.
"It was somewhere between the three thousand and four thousand meter mark, and I was past worn out and tired and I just tripped on my own two feet. I ended up rolling in the dirt and I'm pretty sure I lost a few spots and a few seconds," Cope said.
Right behind Cope was sophomore Cheyenne Niehues. Niehues ran the course in 26:51 and finished 111. Sophomores Laura Shumard and Allee Gillespie finished within two minutes of Niehues, taking 118 and 124 respectively. Sophomore Erica Burgess finished the race in 134 place in 32:33.
"They competed fairly well. Running a 6K like that is a pretty good challenge for them. We'll find out more at Emporia and we can kind of tell where they're at," Coach Harry Kitchener said.
The Thunderbirds finished in 20th out of 21 teams in the college division with 576 points. They finished 23rd out of 24 teams overall with 681.
Up next for the Thunderbird women is at Colorado Springs tomorrow at 10 a.m.
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