HPU Cross Country: Panther Women Win VertCross Invitational

HPU Women Win VertCross Invitational

• The HPU women won their lone home meet of the season
• Freshman Famke Heinst led five Panthers in the top 19, finishing second
• The Panthers next compete at the Big South Championships on Oct. 28

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — The High Point University women’s cross country picked up victory in its lone home meet of the season, the VertCross Invitational, Friday afternoon (Oct. 13) at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.

Behind all five scorers finishing in the top 19, the Panthers won the meet with 62 points, ahead of Appalachian State (68), ETSU (73), Furman (83) and Wofford (129). It is HPU’s second team victory of the season after winning the Big South Preview in September in Lynchburg, Va.

Freshman Famke Heinst led the Panthers across the line, finishing as the runner-up in a 6K time of 21:32.94. Sophomore Zoe Geis had her best performance of the season, placing seventh in 22:05.22. Three freshmen, Julia Hellman (22:28.34), Caroline Baudinet (22:30.09) and Franzi Jakobs (22:30.35), ran as a pack and finished 16th, 18th and 19th, respectively.

“I felt our women did what we were supposed to do,” HPU head coach Remy Tamer said. “We’ve been training for moments like this, training head-to-head with good D1 teams in the area, compete up to what our training is and to fall back on what our average is. Our average right now is competitive grit and our fitness is there, so all we have to do now is execute in our championship part of the season.”

Next up, the Panthers will compete at the Big South Championships on Oct. 28 in Lynchburg, Va.

Panther Men Finish Sixth at VertCross Invitational
• The HPU men finished sixth in their lone home meet of the season
• Freshman Hocine Bouchark finished fifth in his Panther debut
• The Panthers next compete at the Big South Championships on Oct. 28

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — The High Point University men’s cross country team placed sixth it is lone home meet of the season Friday afternoon (Oct. 13) at the VertCross Invitational at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.

The Panther men placed sixth with 181 points, behind Furman (56), ETSU (70), Appalachian State (108), Charleston Southern (114) and Marshall (168), but ahead of VMI (185), Coastal Carolina (200) and Radford (242).

Making his HPU debut, freshman Hocine Bouchark finished fifth overall in an 8K time of 24:51.68, just ahead of junior Alejandro Juan Torres, who was sixth in 24:55.73. The Panthers then had their next three scorers race in a big pack with freshman Anthony Sasso placing 65th (26:59.17), sophomore TJ Morales 68th (27:05.26) and freshman Siro Pina Cardona, also making his Purple & White debut, finishing 72nd in 27:18.02.

“I was pleased up front with Hocine and Alejandro,” HPU head coach Mike Esposito said. “We see Hocine every day in practice and we know he’s going to be very good. It’s a relief for both him and Siro to race today. Alejandro is having a very solid season for us, now we have to get the rest of the team up there. We have a great group of kids, but we need to learn to get uncomfortable.”

Next up, the Panthers will compete at the Big South Championships on Oct. 28 in Lynchburg, Va.