Lopes women finish third at Dave Murray Invite

Friday, September 16

Tucson, AZ

5:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Dave Murray Invitational

9/16/2016 9:20:00 PM | Cross Country

Team Scores Individual Results Photo Gallery

By: Charles Hampton

The Grand Canyon women's cross country team placed seven runners in the top 20 of the Dave Murray Invitational to take home third place at the Randolph Municipal Golf Course in Tucson, Ariz. on Friday afternoon.

The Lopes finished with 63 team points, led by freshman Elizabeth Balsan, who finished sixth overall with a time of 14:46. The Anchorage, Ala., native struggled with altitude two weeks ago in Flagstaff, but looked right at home on the women's 4k course.

Mariah Montoya was the second Lope across the finish line with time of 15:05, good for 11^th place. Lacey Peterson was only three spots behind Montoya, finishing 14^th overall with a time of 15:10. Paige Hildebrandt and Emily Wilkinson each earned top-20 finishes, with times of 15:20 and 15:27, respectively. Hildebrandt finished 17^th overall, while Wilkinson placed 20^th.

Arizona placed five runners in the top 10 to take home the team title with 28 points. Arizona State finished five spots behind with 33 team points. Arizona's Claire Green took home the individual title, winning by four seconds, with a time of 13:43.

The Lopes showed great depth, running as a pack for much of the race. GCU actually had eight runners finish within nine spots following their top five. Anna Henry (22^nd – 15:37), Yarithza Soto (23^rd – 15:38), Taylor Bond (25^th – 15:50), Bailie Jones (26^th – 15:52), Erika Wallace (27^th – 15:54), Natalie Cardwell (28^th – 16:12), Kellie Stroupe (29^th – 16:17), Lindy Jacobson (31^st – 16:36), Paeden Jackson (35^th – 17:40), Amanda Brookover (36^th – 17:40), and Robyn Koetter (40^th – 18:20) rounded out finishers for the Lopes.

GCU will next head to the Washington Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 1, in Seattle, Wash., hosted by the University of Washington. The women's race starts at 11 a.m. MST. The six-kilometer course at Jefferson Park Golf Course will be the same one the Lopes will line up for at the WAC Cross Country Championships at the end of October.