Freshman excel in Sea Gull Invitational

The Rowan University Cross-Country teams opened their 2009 seasons with a bang last Saturday at the Sea Gull Invitational in Salisbury, Md. Both men’s and women’s teams finished in the top three in team scoring, with the women taking second place and the men placing third.

In individual scoring, it was two freshmen who excelled in their first taste of collegiate action. Jenn Rawls, a freshman from Runnemede, N.J. finished first overall in the 6k, with a time of 21:47. For Rawls, the competition brought new experiences.

“My first college meet was something to remember,” Rawls said. “It was very exciting getting to race against so many teams, since I’m use to only racing against one in high school.”

However, for Rawls, the best part of the day was the team accomplishments.

“Honestly, getting to race with my team and to come in second as a team was the highlight of my day,” Rawls said.

For the men, freshman Stephen Mennitt, from Edison, N.J. finished third in the men’s 8k, with a time of 26:32. Mennitt, who had never run an 8k before, realized he would have to make adjustments to adapt to the distance.

“I wanted to use this race to get a feel for the distance,” Mennitt said.

Mennitt was also proud of the team as a whole.

“We run for each other, it’s always a team effort and I think we all ran very well,” Mennitt said.

Mennitt knows the season has just started, but is hopeful for what is to come.

“I think we’re all trying to stay focused on the races that matter most, NJACs and regionals, and have fun with the other ones,” he said.

Other top performers included sophomores Jena Peacock, who finished second overall with a time of 22:20, and Jake McCormack, who finished in eighth place with a time of 27:02.

Both teams look to build on their success as they head to New York to compete in the Fordham Fiasco on Saturday, Sept. 12.