Hornets Live Up to #1 Ranking, Take First at MSU

Anyone wondering if Saline deserved its top ranking in the cross country coaches poll can relax. The Lady Hornets proved worthy at Friday’s Michigan State University Invitational, held at Forest Akers East golf course.

Saline finished with 156 points, 20 better than Grosse Pointe South and 24 better than Grand Haven, who beat Saline a week ago at Bath.

Saline won with depth once again. The Hornets didn’t have any top 10 finishes, but they placed five girls in the top 45. Grosse Pointe South put three girls in the top eight and four girls in the top 40, but their fifth runner placed 127^th.

Saline was led by Alyssa Cummings, who placed 15^th in 18:44. Cummings beat her season’s best time by more than a minute. Elianna Shwayder was 22^nd in 19:01. Lauren Green placed 34^th in 19:29, also a season’s best.  Abby Rentschler was 40^th in 19:27, her best time of the season. Gloria Park was 45^th in 19:32, her best time ever. Amy Creutz didn’t figure in scoring but placed 64^th in 19:49.

Cummings and Shwayder won individual medals for their top-30 finishes.

Coach Smith gave of an example of his team’s depth.

“Our fifth runner, Gloria, beat every other team’s fifth runner and beat every other team’s fourth runner but one,” he said. “We had a very good 48-second gap between our first five runners.”
Saline has won this meet three times in four years.