Palatine, IL: The Harper College women's cross country team earned a second-place finish at the NJCAA Region IV Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Hawks Haven, finishing with 50 points and placing all seven runners inside the top 18.
Freshman Amanda Albrecht led the Hawks with a second-place finish, crossing the line in 21:14.4. Cecilia Puchalski also delivered a strong performance, placing seventh in 22:22.7. Ariyanna Jasser finished 12th in 24:02.5, followed by Lucy Reyna in 13th at 24:15.2. Carly Bierman placed 16th in 24:37.7, Bridget Gibson finished 17th in 25:17.2, and Hana Miltz crossed the line in 18th at 25:21.0.
The regional championship also marked the cross-country debuts of Jasser, Gibson and Miltz. Despite competing in their first cross-country races, all three finished inside the top 18, helping Harper secure its second-place team finish.
Albrecht was pleased with how she performed on the biggest stage of the season, crediting her preparation and ability to stay focused throughout the race.
"During the race, I felt strong and felt that my training really paid off. I was able to push myself throughout the race while staying focused and not letting the pressure get to my head," Albrecht said.
The regional championship lineup also featured several runners who had not appeared in Harper's earlier race lineups this season, including Jasser, Gibson and Miltz. Their contributions helped give the Hawks seven finishers inside the top 18 and secure the runner-up team finish.
Bierman pointed to the team's work together throughout the season as a major reason for its improvement.
"I think the team has improved by pushing and supporting each other during workouts and putting in good effort," Bierman said.
For Reyna, the regional championship also provided valuable experience as she competed in her first 5k.
"I felt pretty good about my performance at the regional championship considering it was my first time competing a 5k. I didn't really have any expectations or goals but only just to get a time, and now that I know how the race is, I can better gauge what I need to do to run an even better time for nationals," Reyna said.
With nationals approaching, Puchalski believes the team will need to focus on both its race strategy and mental preparation.
"I think the team needs to focus on racing smart. Not starting out too fast and staying locked in during the race. Also just being in a good space mentally before the race and not talking ourselves down before the race even happens," Puchalski said.
Harper will now turn its attention to the NJCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14, in Huntsville, Alabama.
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