Red Hawk runners ready for championship meet

The Red Hawk Cross Country team hosted the Ripon Invitational last Saturday and made a statement. The men's team finished 3rd out of eight teams, while the women finished 4th out of nine schools. The men were led by Jason Smith's third place finishing time of 26:28. The women were led by the one-two finish of senior Brittany Dick and junior Jessica Davey.

Dick, who has been plagued with an achilles injury the past few weeks, was competing for the first time in a year and a half. She finished the 6 kilometer race with a time of 20:40, with Davey close behind at 20:55.

"I worked really hard in the last five months and I am glad it paid off," says Dick. "We were younger last year and as a result I think we are stronger this year because all the girls are stepping up."

The team has high hopes heading into the end of the season due to a good mix of youth and experience.

"If we are healthy and perform well, we should be able to make top three at conference," says Dick.

The difference between Ripon and other teams is their depth in numbers. Ripon's roster is composed of 10 athletes on the women's side and 13 on the men's, whereas other teams usually have between 30-35 competitors.

The team looks to continue their success this Sunday at the Private College Championships, hosted by University of Concordia in Mequon. The races will begin at 11 a.m.