A Team Top 2 Fixture
Sophomore Brianna Gruenberg posted her third straight team Top 2 finish of the year to help Concordia to a 13th-place finish at the St. Olaf Invite
NORTHFIELD, Minn. (9/17/16)—Sophomore Brianna Gruenberg fought off a severe blister to clock a 24:30 over the 6K course at the St. Olaf Invite to lead the Cobbers to a 13th-place finish.
Concordia was the No.13 team in a very competitive field that featured teams from NCAA Division II and ranked Division III squads. The Cobbers finished with 393 points which was only 23 behind the 11th-place finisher.
Gruenberg's top finish marked the first time this year she has led the team but is the third time she has placed in the Top 2 this season. She has been the team's No.2 runner at the Cobber Invite and MSUM Twilight behind Sarah Curran. Curran didn't participate at the St. Olaf Invite due to a commitment to a class trip.
Gruenberg was 24-seconds ahead of the team's No.2 finisher Kaya Baker. Baker, who missed the opening meet of the year and is slowly working her way back into All-Region form, crossed the finish line in Northfield in a time of 24:54. She was the only other CC athlete to finish the course in under 25-minutes.
Freshman Kara Andersen was the team's No.3 runner on Saturday. She posted a mark of 25:09 and recorded her third straight team Top 5 finish to start her collegiate career.
Sara Whiteman and Maria West completed the Top 5 for Concordia. Whiteman recorded a time of 25:28 and West came home in 26:15.
WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will have its first break of the season. CC won't compete again until Saturday, Oct. 1 when they participate in the most-unique invite of the year. The Cobbers will return to Northfield to race in the Running of the Cows meet hosted by Carleton.
