The women’s cross country Big South championship meet saw junior Gracie Piekarski record a new 5K personal record and earn a spot in Longwood’s top ten 5K times (No. 8) with her first sub-19 minute finish.
Piekarski placed 13 out of 86 with a time of 18:37.97, the only female Lancer finishing in the top half of the standings.
She is the first to invade Longwood’s top 10 since 2012.
Her time pulled Longwood up from a last place finish to beat Charleston Southern. High Point was the Big South champion.
Longwood was missing their No. 2 runner in sophomore Kelsey Peace due to injury, forcing their team manager, freshman Sarah Kasko, to run in order fill the five slots necessary for Longwood to have a team finish.
"Today really exemplifies what Longwood is about in terms of being a family and being there for each other," said cross country head coach Catherine Hanson on the Longwood athletics official website.
Longwood will participate in the 3 Stripe Red Shirt Cross Country Invitational this Saturday, Nov. 4 in North Carolina prior to the NCAA Southeast Regional 6K meet the following week on Nov. 13 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
