Strock's All-Region Performance Powers Dukes

Friday, November 11

Charlottesville, Va.

11 a.m.

James Madison University

NCAA Southeast Regional Championship

11/11/2016 12:23:00 PM | Cross Country

Southeast Regional Results @JMUCrossCountry JMU XC on Facebook 2016 Roster

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Senior Carol Strock led James Madison cross country at the NCAA Southeast Regional with an All-Region 18th-place finish at Panorama Farms on Friday morning. The Dukes finished in 10th out of 32 teams behind three other top-55 finishes.

Strock ran the 6K course filled with rolling hills in 20:59.0, the seventh-fastest NCAA Regional time in JMU history. The senior from Mechanicsburg, Pa. was in 32nd at the 2K split, but used a strong kick to lunge past NC State's Elly Henes at the line and complete a 14-place improvement.

What a kick at the end by Carol Strock! pic.twitter.com/pWsNd3RUYQ
— JMU Cross Country (@JMUCrossCountry) November 11, 2016

Three more strong finishes powered the Dukes to a top-10 team finish for the second consecutive year. Junior Nora Raher came in 48th out of 227 runners with a time of 21:44.0, senior Tessa Mundell was right behind her in 50th with a time of 21:45.8 and sophomore Olivia Viparina was 55th with a time of 21:48.6. Viparina improved on her Regional time from 2015 by over a minute and a half, when she finished 112th in 23:07.9.

Freshman Caitlin Swanson completed the Dukes' scoring, finishing in 109th with a time of 22:35.1. Also placing for JMU was freshman Emily Murphy (131st – 22:52.7) and junior Nicole Goff (136th – 22:57.9). Goff improved on her previous Regional performance from 2014, when she finished in 168th in 23:06.7.

Coastal Carolina's Annie Bothma won the individual title in 20:15.4, besting second-place Erika Kemp of NC State by four seconds. NC State won the team title handily with 53 points, powered by five top-20 finishes. JMU recorded 273 points, just 10 points behind ninth-place Colonial Athletic Association foe William & Mary and 27 points ahead of 11th-place CAA rival Elon.

Coach Rinker handing Carol her All-Region medal for her 18th place finish! pic.twitter.com/SzgoOXlFuh
— JMU Cross Country (@JMUCrossCountry) November 11, 2016

JMU RESULTS
18. Carol Strock 20:59.0 (All-Region)
48. Nora Raher 21:44.0
50. Tessa Mundell 21:45.8
55. Olivia Viparina 21:48.6
109. Caitlin Swanson 22:35.1
131. Emily Murphy 22:52.7
136. Nicole Goff 22:57.9

TOP 10 TEAM RESULTS
1. NC State 53
2. Louisville 163
3. Kentucky 164
4. Furman 168
5. Wake Forest 186
6. Virginia 190
7. Eastern Kentucky 207
8. Virginia Tech 240
9. William & Mary 263
10. James Madison 273

QUOTING COACH RINKER
"I thought we ran very well. They went out and followed the race plan fairly well. We needed to be a little more aggressive early, but they fought the whole last part of the course. From that standpoint I don't have any real qualms with them. We did a really good job."

UP NEXT
The Dukes head to New York, N.Y. for the ECAC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m.