Lancer of the Week- Week of October 22-29

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS:
Lauren Donlin
So., Forward
Seattle, Washington
Donlin re-set the Lancers individual season scoring record with 14 goals in the 2008 women’s soccer season.

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS:
Laura Starman
Sr., MB
Starman fought through an adversity filled season to participate in her final home match as a Mount Marty Lancer last Saturday.

Warriors Slash Lancers Hopes on Senior Day

BY SCOTT MORRISON
sports@yankton.net

The Midland Lutheran Lady Warriors defeated the Mount Marty College Lancers 30-22, 30-25, 30-19 Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at Ladie E. Cimpl Arena.

Prior to the start of the game, seniors Laura Starman and Tara Adamson were honored for their continued service to the Lancer volleyball program.

Starman was a leader throughout her injury shortened career.

“Laura Starman is a girl that everyone should try and emulate,” Lancer coach Tracy Grotenhuis said. “She had a couple of tough breaks throughout the year, but never let it affect our team’s performance.”

Tara Adamson provided a young Lancer team some much needed experience at the outside hitter position.

“We were happy that Tara joined our team. She was one of the most athletic girls that we have had in our program,” Grotenhuis said.

In the match, the Lancers had a difficult time matching the intensity on the other side of the net.

“Our girls were working to prepare for the conference tournament. We were motivated to play well today,” Warriors coach Kristen Lebeda-Svehla said.

In the first game the Warriors jumped out to a quick 8-1 lead after junior Beth Williams recorded two ace serves.

The Lancers fought back in the middle portion of the game as Adamson recorded three consecutive blocking assists.

“We knew we were more than likely headed to the conference tournament with a win today. Setting the tone in the first game helped us in the right direction,” Lebeda-Svehla said.

The Lancers had a 23-19 lead in the latter stages of the game, but the Warriors went on two runs to pull out the 30-25 victory.

Game two went neck-in-neck until the Warriors went on a run late. The Warriors won the game 30-27.

The Lancers were up 19-13 at one point, but lost the lead at 26-25 and wouldn’t recover. Warriors sophomore Mikhala Newman posted five of her 13 kills in the game.

“We had chances in both games one and two, but we were not able to come out on top. Today just wasn’t our day,” Grotenhuis said.

Midland Lutheran started off hot again in the third game, but this time they would not allow the Lancers to fight back. The secured the match victory with a 30-19 win in the game.

Midland senior Megan Hope posted five of her 13 kills in the game.

Junior Lindsey Beacom led the Lancers with eight kills and one ace serve. Adamson contributed with six kills, one ace serves, and three blocking assists.

“We were faced with a lot of adversity with the injury to Starman, but we had a lot of our freshman step up and play at a high level,” Grotenhuis commented on her team’s season.

The Lancers (7-20, 2-13 GPAC) will travel to play Grace University tomorrow. The Lancers defeated Grace the last time the two teams matched up.

CROSS CROUNTRY WEEKLY REVIEW: Lancers Race Through GPAC Meet

The Lancers traveled to Crete, Neb. To run in the Great plains Athletic Conference Track Meet on Saturday.

The four Lancers runners showed a little improvement, finishing within just a few short minutes of each other.

Sophomore Megan O’ Grady was the first Lancer to cross the finish line. She finished in 55th place overall with a time of 21:18.57.

Not far behind her was junior Jessica Albers. Albers finished in 84th place with a 22:53.47.

Ashley Solem also finished in the top 100 runners with a 25:27.46. Britteny Williams took up the rear with a 103 place finish and time of 26:52.00.

Up next, the Lancers with compete in their regional meet in Sioux Falls. The meet begins November 3.

Bowling Fever

Last night, an open bowl was hosted as Yankton Bowl and MMC students filled the house for a night of fun.

Jim Hovland shows off his bowling expertise.

Sara Haase, Lauren Donlin, and Javy Murguia hang out between frames.

Brother David takes the approach.


Photos by Theresa Condon

Lancer of the Week- Week of October 16-23

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS:
Abby Haiar
Jr., Forward
Aberdeen, SD
Haiar helped her team to a match victory over Dakota Wesleyan University by posting 11 kills, two ace serves, one solo block, 30 set assists, and 13 digs.
Haiar is seventh in the Great Plains Athletic Conference in Hitting Percentage with a 32.2 %.

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SOCCER WEEKLY REVIEW: Lancers fall to USF, Dordt

BY SCOTT MORRISON

The Lancers soccer program continued to struggle through conference play last week. Both the men’s and women’s team dropped games to the University of Sioux Falls and Dordt College.

The Lancer men fell to USF 5-1 after allowing the first five goals. They were able to score the final goal of the match.

After limiting the Cougars to two goals in the first half, the Lancers had trouble with containing them in the second half.

“They say that the toughest lead to hold in soccer is 2-0,” Lancer coach Dan Hendricks said. “You start to feel comfortable, yet only one goal will give the other team enough momentum to comeback.”

“We were trying to go off of this principle, but we had trouble holding the lead,” Hendricks said.

The Lancers lone goal came after Rogelio Duran played a pass through to Jose Garcia who found himself on a break-away.

Garcia beat the goal keep for his team leading fifth goal of the season.

The MMC men were unable to defeat Dordt College as they were shutout 6-0 in Sioux Center, Iowa.

“In comparison to our game against USF, I though out performance against Dordt was good,” Hendricks said. “We had trouble handling one of their forwards, but besides that we played well as a group.”

We did have some trouble with defensive organization and staying onsides,” Hendricks said. “We knew who we had to keep track of and we just couldn’t do it.”


The Lancer women were also unable to defeat USF. They were shutout as they lost the match 2-0.

“We didn’t feel like we played as good as we could have and as good as we have recently,” Hendricks said. “We had an off-day. We were not ready to play.”

The Lancers gave up their first goal midway through the first quarter. Then allowed the last one with twenty minutes left in the match.

Despite the inability to break the Cougar defense, the Lancers tightened their defense and allowed a 2007 team conference low by only allowing two goals.

The Lancers women had a difficult time handling the Dordt women as they lost 6-1 on Saturday.

Dordt gradually built the score to 6-0 and then sophomore Lauren Donlin scored with 15 minutes remaining to make it 6-1.

Donlin’s goal was her tenth of the season, just two goals away from a MMC record of 12 goals. The record was set by Donlin in her freshman season.

The Lancers will play Wednesday in their final home game of the season against Dakota Wesleyan at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

They will travel to Seward, Neb. to face Concordia University in their final game of the season. The games will be at 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY REVIEW: Lancers Pick Up Road Win Against Rival DWU

BY SCOTT MORRISON

The Lancers came up with one of their biggest wins of the season by defeating Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell.

“This was definitely one of the best games of our season,” Lancers coach Tracy Grotenhuis said. “It was a big win for us at our rival school.

The Lancers pulled out the match victory 30-26,30-26,21-30,30-23 against the Tigers (6-18, 2-10 GPAC) who defeated the Lancers earlier this season in Yankton.

Junior hitter Tara Adamson was the top Lancer performer with 16 kills, two ace serves, two solo blocks, and 13 digs.

Junior setter Abby Haiar finished the match with 11 kills, two ace serves, one solo block 30 set assists, and 13 digs.

The Lancers got off to a hot start in the first two games thanks in part to an aggressive attack around from the serving line and around the net.

“We did very well in the first two games with our aggressive serves. We were able to take them out of their quick offense,” Grotenhuis said.

The Lancers dropped the third game, but guaranteed the match victory with a 30-23 win in the last game.

“In the third game we had a lot of unforced errors, but we were able to get back to what we were doing well in the last game,” Grotenhuis added.

The Lancers played in their final match of the week in Crete, Neb. against Doane College.

Unfortunately for MMC, they would not be able to improve upon their match against DWU.

They experienced a let down and lost the match 30-19,30-19,30-16 to the Tigers (12-12, 6-6 GPAC) .

“Doane is playing very tough right now,” Grotenhuis said. “Though they have a .500 reacord, they have beaten a number of the top teams in our conference lately.”

The Lancers were forced to fight for every point and still were unable to handle a majority of Doane’s attack.

Leading the way for the Lancers was Tara Adamson who posted eight kills, one solo block, and 11 digs. Sophomore Kate Carda and Abby Haiar each had six kills. Haiar added 18 set assists and eight digs.

Three out of the remaining four matches will be at home. These matches will all be played this week. They will match up against Morningside College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Dordt College on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and Midland Lutheran College on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Musical Talent Abounds on MMC Campus

MMC students had a chance to showcase their musical talents during a recent 'Open Mic Night' held in the Cyber Cafe. The event was very well-attended by MMC students and participation on stage was high as well.

Chris Filsinger strums out a few notes on the guitar.

It was a full house in the MMC Cyber Cafe.

Mike Hammonds and Quincey Oliver performed a rap for the crowd.

MMC's own, Mike Hammonds, Blain Williams, and Dean Hansen perform together in their band known as Stripfish.

Photos by Theresa Condon

BY SCOTT MORRISON

The Lancers had a trouble staying on top as they lost four of five matches from the past week. The Lancers picked up a loss against Northwestern College, and won one of four matches in the Grandview College Tournament.

They started their week of traveling to Northwestern on Wednesday, were they lost the match 30-12, 30-12, 30-16. Junior Tara Adamson led the team with four kills and two solo blocks.

“We couldn’t counter their attack,” Lancer coach Tracy Grotenhuis said. “ We need to improve on defense so that we can put ourselves in position to counter.”

The Lancers (6-17, 1-11 GPAC) traveled to Des Moines, Iowa to participate in a tournament at Grandview College. The Lancers participated in five matches throughout the course of the tournament.

They started off against Grandview College and won the match 30-14, 30-16,30-18. Adamson again led her team by posting ten kills, one solo block, and seven digs.

“We were able to keep our errors down to a minimum,” Grotenhuis said. “Sometimes its hard not to play down to a team’s level and we avoided that with consistent play.”

In their second game of the tournament, the Lancers lost to Mayville State University (ND) 30-26,30-23,30-27.

Adamson was once again the Lancers main source of point production with ten kills and nine blocks. Junior Emily Rasmussen added five kills, five ace serves, and five blocks.

The Lancers were unable to rebound as they dropped their match against Region III opponent Jamestown College (ND) 30-20, 30-16, 30-23.

The Lancers had a difficult time with keeping possession of the lead. They were ahead in all three games, but could not hold it towards the end.

“We just weren’t able to make the big plays at the end of each game,” Grotenhuis said.

In the final game of the tournament, The Lancers squared off against Great Plains Athletic Conference opponent Midland Lutheran University (Neb.).

In the match the Lancers were able to win the first game 30-13, but ended up losing the match 13-30,30-25,30-20,30-26.

“We had a very impressive first game. We were able to shut down their hitters,” Grotenhuis said. “Those hitters have been a big part of their offense. They hurt us throughout the match.”

The Lancers have two matches this week. This starts with a road trip to Dakota Wesleyan University on Tuesday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. They also have a trip to Doane College Friday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Lancers of the Week- Week of October 8-15

MEN’S ATHLETICS:
Josh Christiansen
So., Forward
Viborg, SD
Christiansen scored the only two goals for his team Saturday against Hastings. He has three goals on the year.

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS:
Abby Hunhoff
Fr., Forward
Yankton, SD
Hunhoff put in the lone Lancer goal on Saturday versus Hastings. After an impressive battle, the girls lost 3-1.

Black Hills State Girls, Dickinson State Boys Win MMC Meet

BY SCOTT MORRISON

The Black Hills State Yellow Jackets girls and the Dickinson State Hawks boys teams were able to win their respective team competitions.

Both teams relied on the consistency of their athletes in the Graphic Edge Mount Marty College Invitational Cross Country Meet at the Human Service Center track on Saturday morning.

The Yellow Jackets earned the top spot on the girls’ side thanks in part to top 12 individual finishes by their top four of their runners.

“We knew that there would be a lot of teams at this meet that we will face in Regionals,” Black Hills coach Scott Walkinshaw said. “This meet was important for us from a rankings standpoint.”

They were able to edge Concordia by two points in the end. The Yellow Jackets scored a 49, and Concordia finished with a 51.

Wendy O’Lexey led the Yellow Jackets by finishing third with an 18:19.77. She finished just seconds ahead of teammate Kerry Washburn who finished in sixth place with an18:32.57.

Alicia Verhulst finished in tenth place for the Yellow Jackets after running the course in 19:14.17. Shelli Scheffler finished in 12th place with a 19:18.81.

Dordt College’s Jen Kempers won the top spot in the individual race after defeating Northwestern College’s Charity Miles by only a fraction of a second.

Kempers was able to take advantage of her last wind to defeat Miles. She ran a 18:15.59 in comparison to Miles’s time which was 18:15.60.

“I was able to pick up some speed coming off of the bottom of the hill,” Kempers said. “I basically just threw myself at the finish line in hopes that I could win the race.”

BHSU’s O’Lexey finished in third followed Northwestern’s Olivia Johnson who finished with an 18:24.47. Dickinson State’s Rose Jepkirui finished in fifth place after running the course in 18:27.67.

The hosting Lancer girls did not have enough runners to place as a team. However they did have a couple of girls who were able to perform well in the misty conditions.

Megan O’Grady led the Lancer pack with a 41st place finish. She ran the course in a 20:31.12. Ashley Solem had one of her best performances on the season Saturday morning.

Britteny Willams and Amberle Zuerlin finished 142 and 145 respectively.

“We had a good meet today, but we are going to have to get our girls healthy for us to compete,” Lancer coach Dave Fischer said.

In the mens’ race, Dickinson State was able to earn the top finish by scoring 54 points. They edged Concordia who finished the men’s race with a 60.

Sergio Jimenez’s second place finish helped the Hawks to the victory. Jimenez was in third place for a majority of the game, but kicked it into an extra gear to overtake Iowa Western Community College’s Alfred Kite.

“Sergio is one of the most competitive athletes we have on our team,” Hawks coach Thadd O’Donnell said. “If you put him out their one-on-one he will work his hardest to come out on top.”

Jimenez finished ahead of Kite after running the course in 25:22.28. He was one of four Dickinson State runners who finished in the top 15.

“We have great depth. We have a lot of different guys who have finished in the top five in the last couple of meets.”

Iowa Western Community College’s David Barmasai had by far the best individual performance of the meet as he finished ahead of the second place Jimenez by nearly 30 seconds.

Barmasai set the pace in the mens’ race by running a 24:58.57. Kite finished in third with a 25:31.35.

Dakota State University’s Chris Heezen finished in fourth place with a 25:41.22. Concordia University’s David Goeglein rounded up the top five with a 25:49.40.

Overall, the Mount Marty Invitational turned out to be a gigantic success. Runners lined the course as far as the eye could see throughout a majority of both races.

“I am very happy with the way the meet turned out,” Fischer said. “There were an exceptional amount of teams that were all able to participate to the fullest.”

Lady Broncos Find a Way to Hold Off Lancers

BY SCOTT MORRISON

The Hastings College Lady Broncos found a way to brave the dreary elements and hold off the Mount Marty Lancers 3-1.

The Broncos (8-3-1) ended a two game losing streak to improve to 6-2 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference on Saturday at Lewis and Clack Soccer Complex.

Hastings was able to dominate possession of the ball as they held it inside the Lancer zone for all but a few moments of the drizzle soaked game.

Zoe Cranmer, a sophomore forward from England, tallied the first goal of the game after she broke in alone in the box and beat Lancer goalie April Dolezal.

They added another goal only moments later in the first half when defenseman Jesse Herse gave them a 2-0 advantage.

The Broncos were able to add their final goal when Allison Kotschwar broke into the Lancer box and made a move on a defender to create an open net.

Kotschwar dropped the ball into the uncontested net with ease to make the score 3-0.

Mount Marty (2-11, 0-8) would attempt to rebound from the three goal deficit as freshman forward Abby Hunhoff was able to knock home a rebound that deflected off the Broncos goal keep.

Sophomore Lauren Donlin did what she could to develop the play as she dribbled the ball down through the right side and blasted a shot on net.

Hunhoff would not be denied the goal as she slid in on net and knocked the ball in while falling to the muddy turf.

Hastings won the game in convincing fashion, but Coach Ted Flogaites was not impressed with his team’s performance.

“I thought we had a poor performance this afternoon,” Flogaites said. “We simply did not play up to our potential.”

Despite having a little trouble finishing their scoring opportunities, the Broncos did find positives through the amount of time that they were able to posses the ball.

The Broncos athletes were also successful in getting into position when they did not have the ball. This helped to create more opportunities on offense.
On the other side, the Lancers were able to take a couple of positives away from their overall performance.

“We played good soccer today. We were a little scared of Hastings at the beginning of the game, but we were able to stop them a couple times and that helped to give us confidence,” Lancer coach Dan Hendricks said.

“We were able to produce a couple of opportunities and we were able to capitalize on one of them,” Hendricks added.

Despite falling 3-1, Hendricks still felt like his team “had one of their best games of the season.”

The Broncos will host Nebraska Wesleyan University on Wednesday, October 17 at 5:30 p.m. in their next contest.

The Lancers will take to the road to match up against the University of Sioux Falls on Tuesday, October 16 at 2:00 p.m.

#17 Broncos Deal Lancers Lop Sided Defeat

BY SCOTT MORRISON

The Hastings College mens’ soccer team was able to score early and often on their way to defeating the Mount Marty Lancers 8-2 at Lewis and Clark Soccer Complex Saturday afternoon.

The Broncos (9-2-1, 7-1), who were rated number 17 in NAIA Mens’ Soccer and number one in Region III, were not shy in displaying their scoring abilities.

They were able to score seven of their eight goals in the first half. They scored their first three goals in the first 12 minutes of the match.

This started as junior forward Brian Steinert was able to knock in a picturesque crossing pass by Joel Pedroza.

Matt Quinlan, a senior from Omaha, Neb, gave the Broncos a 2-0 lead after he was able to head the ball past Lancer goal keep Chris Sullivan.

“Our guys came out with a lot of fire, ready to pick up a conference win,” Hastings coach Chris Kranjc said.

Pedroza added his second point of the game after he was on the receiving end of a crossing pass that he buried in the bottom left hand corner off the Lancer net.

Nedim Hasanbegovic, a junior forward from Sarajevo, Bosnia, scored the first of two goals to give the Broncos a 4-0 lead.

Freshman Chris Marquiss scored the next two Hastings goals to make the score 6-0.

Marquiss’s first goal came of a header after senior defender Mark Knust gave him a pass just in front of the Lancer box. His second goal was unassisted.

Garret Reynek added the next Bronco goal just before the end of the first half to give them a 7-0 lead at half-time.

“We were able to finish our opportunities early. This helped us to play well throughout a majority of the contest,” Kranjc added.

After a more than discouraging first half, the Lancers (2-10-1, 0-8) were able to produce a solid second half by scoring two goals and only allowing one.

“We came out a little scared against a prestigious program, but we were able to do much better after we settled down,” Lancer coach Dan Hendricks said.

Sophomore midfielder Josh Christiansen scored both Lancer goals in the half.

The first goal came off a rocket shot just outside the Hastings box. Christiansen was able to make a move and find a window to sneak the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

He was able to head his second goal in net after jumping up to get a crossing pass from the left corner of the field.

Christiansen, who had never played soccer until the beginning of this season, is making an impact on a shorthanded Lancer team. He has three goals on the year.

“We played well in the second half. We were able to outscore Hastings in the half and that helped to give us a little confidence.”

The Broncos were able to tally the final goal of the game when Hasanbegovic was able to move the ball past the Lancers defense and beat Sullivan to make the score 8-2.

The Broncos will host Nebraska Wesleyan University on Wednesday, October 17 at 7:30. The Lancers will travel to Sioux Falls to play against the University of Sioux Falls on Tuesday, October 16 at 4:00 pm.

Lancers of the Week- Week of October 8-15

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS:
Kerry McDonald
Fr., S
Parker, SD
After the Lancers starting setter (Abby Haiar) injured her ankle, McDonald was forced to take charge of the role for the majority of two matches.

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS:
Kate Carda
So., Outside Hitter
Tea, SD
Carda was a solid performer throughout the week as she posted eight or more kills in each of the Lancers three matches. She ended the day with a total of 28 kills.

VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY REVIEW: Lancers Drop Two, Pick Up Much Needed Win Against Dana

BY SCOTT MORRISON

The Lancers continued Great Plains Athletic Conference play throughout the week with matches against Morningside College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Dana College.

The Lancers began their week against the upper escialon of the GPAC in the form of Morningside College. The Lancers traveled to Sioux City on Wednesday night to battle the top ranked team in their conference.

The Lady Mustangs(19-1, 8-1), who came in ranked 11th amongst NAIA Division II teams, made quick work of the Lancers defeating them 30-23, 30-6, 30-14.

Sophomore Kate Carda led all Lancer attackers with eight kills. Junior Tara Adamson was able to add seven kills, nine defensive digs, and one solo block.

The Lancers fell victim to injury on the final point of the first game when junior Abby Haiar sprained her ankle trying to make a play on the ball.

She would not be able to return for the remainder of the match and freshman Kerry McDonald was thrust into the action.

“After Abby went down with her injury, our girls just seemed to lose confidence,” Lancer coach Tracy Grotenhuis said. “We had to thrust Kerry into a tough position, but she did the best she could while in the match.”

On Friday, the Lancer women played host to Nebraska Wesleyan (9-7, 3-5) and fell 30-19, 30-20, 30-12. The Lancers were forced to play without Haiar who was unable to play in the match.

Carda again had a strong match as she led the Lancers with eight kills. She also added a blocking assist in the match.

Senior Laura Starman also had a quality match as she posted six kills, two defensive digs, one solo block, and one blocking assist. McDonald had 20 set assists and five defensive digs as Haiar’s replacement.

“It was difficult for our hitters to connect with Kerry, but once they did, their confidence in her began to build as the match progressed,” Grotenhuis said.

On Parent’s day, the Lancers used Haiar’s return from in to the lineup to spark a five game match victory against Dana College. The Lancers were able to put together a match victory by the score of 32-23, 18-30, 20-30, 30-26, 15-10.

Haiar had six kills to go along with 23 set assists, and one defensive dig. She was able to feed Tara Adamson who posted 15 kills, two ace serves, 13 defensive digs, and two blocking assists.

“Everyone had to jump in and play their part to help us get the win, “Grotenhuis said. “This match victory was very important our team because it has shown how much we have improved throughout the year.

The Lancers had lost their previous two matches against Dana, but found a way to ensure that they would not be defeated on Saturday.

The Lancers will match up against Northwestern College (17-7, 5-3) who are currently seeded fourth in the GPAC on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

They will also travel to Des Moines, Iowa to participate in a tournament at Grandview College on Friday, Oct. 12 and 13.

CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY REVIEW: Lancers Hit Speed Bumps at Briar Cliff Meet

BY SCOTT MORRISON

Heading into the Briar Cliff Invitational Cross Country Meet, the Lancers knew that a strong performance would go along way in preparing them for their only home meet of the season.

Unfortunately the Lancers ran into a number of difficulties that prevented them having a productive meet.

This began as junior Jessica Albers, who had been improving her time minute-by-minute, pulled a muscle prior to the begging of the race and was unable to participate in the race.

Sophomore Megan O’ Grady was the first Lancer to pass the finish line, but do to a touch of the flue she was forced to stop to catch her breath on multiple occasions.

This hurt O’Grady’ standing as she was forced to deal with a 21:03, the slowest time of her 2007 season giving her a 32nd place finish.

“Today was not our best day of the season,” Lancers coach Randy Fischer said. “We had some injuries and some girls sick.”

Sophomor Ashley Solem finished in 113th place with a time of 26:51. Britteny Williams did her best to run along side of Solem and finished in 114th place with a time of 27:41.

“Solem has not had many opportunities to train with the team,” Fischer said. “For her to come out and run smart was key to her individual progress which has bee improving throught the year.”

Amber Le Zuerlin ran in her first collegiate finishing 119 with a time of 28:38.

“We are all happy with the way that Amber Le came out ready to run,” Fischer said. “I think all she needs to do is to learn to run smart and to make improvements down the road,”

The Lancers will participate as the host team in their only home cross country meet of the season. The Mount Marty College Graphic Edge Cross Country Invitational will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Human Services Center course on Saturday Oct. 15.

In order to achieve success amongst the strong varieties of runners that will be involved in the meet, the Lancers must be able to rest their runners and prepare to improve on last week’s performance.

Lancers of the Week- Week of October 1-8

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS:
Megan O’Grady
So.
Tyndall, SD
O’Grady finished in tenth place for the Lancers running the Dakota State Cross Country course in 19:24.82. Her time helped the Lancers to a sixth place overall finish in the meet.

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS:
Jessica Albers
Jr.
Yankton, SD
Albers finished in 31st place in the Dakota State meet after running a 22:13.18. Her season has seen nothing but improvement as she had shaved almost ten minutes of her time from last year.

CROSS CROUNTRY WEEKLY REVIEW: Lancers Finish Sixth at DSU Meet

BY SCOTT MORRISON

The Lancers went into Madison with their eyes set squarely on competing at the Dakota State University Cross Country Meet last Saturday.

They were able to do this along with much more as all four Lancer runners were able to make improvements on their individual course times.

The Lancers scored a 149 in the meet as they finished 15 points ahead of Dakota Wesleyan University, who finished in the seventh and final spot with a 164.

“We had a solid finish at the DSU meet,” Lancer coach Dave Fisher said. “Our girls had a good feel for running against some good competition.”

Improvement was the highlight of the meet for the Lancers as all four runners were able to shave seconds and even minutes of their season and career bests.

This started with sophomore Megan O’Grady who finished the meet in a team best tenth place with a time of 19:24.82.

O’Grady’s performance was strong enough to set a personal best time. In the two short years, O’Grady has been able progress step-by-step as she makes her way to the front of the Great Plains Athletic Conference pack.

Junior runner Jessica Albers also had a solid finish as she ended up in 31st place after running the course in 22:13.18.

Albers has improved her performance by nearly ten minutes from a season ago. The hard work and dedication has that she has put in has made Albers one the Lancers most competitive runners.

“Jessica has improved drastically in every meet,” Fisher said. “She was under the weather a little on Saturday, but was still able to improve on her time.”

Sophomore Ashley Solem was able to do her part to help the Lancers to their sixth place finish as she ran the course with a time of 24:58.18.

Her time was good enough to earn her a 48th place finish.

Finishing the meet for the Lancers was senior Britteny Williams. Williams ran a 25:20.41 which helped her to a 50th place finish.

Williams time was nearly four minutes faster than her last performance at the South Dakota State Cross Country Invitational Meet.

“Overall we have a nice thing in the making,” Fisher said. “We need to continue to train hard and keep trying to move up in the pack.”

The Lancers will travel to Sioux City, Iowa to compete in the Briar Cliff University Invitational Cross Country Meet on Saturday Oct. 6 at 10:00 am.