Women's Cross Country takes top four places to fly to first place finish at Bluffton 5k and open 2019 season

Women's Cross Country takes top four places to fly to first place finish at Bluffton 5k and open 2019 season
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August 31, 2019

By Scott Beaton

BLUFFTON — The Ohio Northern women's cross country team won its third consecutive Bluffton 5k by taking the top-four spots and seven of the top-10 to start its 2019 campaign on Saturday morning at the Bluffton Nature Reserve.

The Polar Bears scored a mere 17 points to take the crown. Heidelberg was a distant second with 61 points and Bluffton placed third with 66 points.

Sophomore Tessa Pitcovich (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) won the race in 19:10.1.

Juniors Megan Wright (Eaton/Twin Valley South) and Kylie Vestal (Youngstown/Austintown-Fitch) were second and third in 19:23.4 and 19:34.0, respectively.

Fourth overall was senior Madeleine Routhier (West Unity/Hilltop), crossing in 19:37.3.

To round out the ONU scorers, junior Chyanne Retcher (Ney/Fairview) placed seventh in 19:57.6.

Senior Kathleen Colvin (Hilliard/Bishop Ready) was eighth in 20:03.0 and sophomore Taylor Ellerbrock took 10th in 20:09.3 to complete the Polar Bear top-seven.

ONU's first runner (Pitcovich) and seventh runner (Ellerbrock) were separated by just 59.2 seconds.

Ohio Northern returns to racing Sept. 14 at the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational. The race is slated for a 10:30 a.m. start.

Team Standings

 1. Ohio Northern 17, 2. Heidelberg 61, 3. Bluffton 66, 4. Ohio Christian 93

Top 5 Individuals

 1. Tessa Pitcovich (Ohio Northern) 19:10.1, 2. Megan Wright (Ohio Northern) 19:23.4, 3. Kylie Vestal (Ohio Northern) 19:34.0, 4. Madeleine Routhier (Ohio Northern) 19:37.3, 5. Alexis Cash (Bluffton) 19:41.6

Ohio Northern Individual Results

1. Tessa Pitcovich 19:10.1, 2. Megan Wright 19:23.4, 3. Kylie Vestal 19:34.0, 4. Madeleine Routhier 19:37.5, 7. Chyanne Retcher 19:57.6, 8. Kathleen Colvin 20:03.0, 10. Taylor Ellerbrock 10:09.3, 12. Sophia Thompson 20:25.7, 14. Michaela Fox 21:02.7, 15. Alexis Neff 21:09.2, 18. Gabrielle Kowalczyk 21:40.9, 25. Lauren Trace 23:15.1, 26. Taylor Fisher 23:28.1, 27. Erica Mobley 23:29.9, 28. Karsen Bresnahan 23:33.2.