HPU Women’s Cross Country Ninth At Blue Ridge Open

BOONE, N.C. — The High Point University women’s cross country team placed ninth in the Blue Ridge Open on Friday afternoon in Boone, N.C. Freshman Cozette Collin led High Point for the fifth meet in a row.

“It says a lot that Cozette was sick and didn’t have a great race, but she was still consistent,” said HPU women’s cross country coach Jenna Wrieden. “Kayleigh Perry is coming around and Julia Zautcke has been a good young leader for us. We need to dig deeper in two weeks for the conference championship.”

Furman won the meet followed by host Appalachian State. Coastal Carolina was the top Big South team in the meet, placing third. UNC Asheville placed fourth and High Point ninth. Winthrop placed 16th, Radford 17th, VMI 19th and Gardner-Webb 24th out of 27 total schools.

Collin placed 31st overall with a time of 19:04.76 on the 5K course. She has led High Point in all five cross country meets this fall. Senior Kayleigh Perry was next in 44th overall in 19:15.79.

Sophomore Erika Peoples was High Point’s third finisher in 71st overall with a time of 19:39.92 and freshman Natalia Ocasio placed 73rd in 19:40.60. Sophomore Julia Zautcke was the Panthers’ fifth and final scorer in 77th overall with a time of 19:44.48.

Senior Audrey Malloy placed 106th, junior Krista Willard placed 115th and sophomore Katie Farina placed 125th. Junior Lauren Blackwell placed 157th.

The meet was HPU’s last before the Big South Championship, which is Nov. 2 at the Vista Links Golf Course in Buena Vista, Va. The Panthers placed third behind Coastal Carolina and Liberty in the VMI Invitational in September, which was run on the same course.