ESU’s Rossbach dominates field at MIAA Championships
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Monday, October 23, 2006
Her goal was to win it. Jonel Rossbach ended up doing much more.
The Emporia State runner didn’t just take the field at the MIAA Cross Country Championships in Bolivar, Mo. — she dominated it.
With a time of 21:28.99, the ESU junior literally ran away with the MIAA women’s individual championship, finishing more than 20 seconds ahead of second-place Jacquie Faust from Truman.
Rossbach is the third woman in ESU history to win an individual MIAA championship, joining Kadre Kelve and Tara Hudspeth.
After running a controlled first five kilometers, Rossbach kicked it up a notch in the final 1,000 meters to separate herself from the field.
She finished fifth in the MIAAs last season.
“It was a fast course and Jonel’s time was her best ever over six kilometers,” ESU coach Dave Harris said. “But her time wasn’t what was important, her winning was.”
Rossbach took the title despite finishing behind three of the same conference runners at earlier meets this year.
Teammate Krysta Fennewald placed 14th for ESU, helping the Lady Hornets to a sixth-place finish out of eight teams in the conference.
Though it might not sound like much, the group accomplished an impressive feat considering that ESU had only three women’s runners at the beginning of the season. Four walk-ons later joined to fill out the team.
“I thought that, to the woman, each of our team members ran their best race of the year,” Harris said. “We could have easily finished at the bottom of the MIAA, but their racing efforts brought us up to sixth.”
The ESU men weren’t as successful, taking last in the eight-team field.
Skyler Delmott led the Hornets with a 19th-place finish. Michael Stephens (34th), Brock Ternes (43rd), Marcus Summers (51st) and Shea Camien (55th) all finished in the top 55.
“The men did not fare well. I do not feel any of our men ran up to their best race fo the year,” Harris said. “I like this group, but it does not sit well to be last in the team rankings. Considering our great workouts over the last several weeks, I felt they were ready to peak. I will analyze this one for some time.”
The men’s eighth-place finish was the worst in ESU history.
The Hornets’ next action will be Nov. 4 at the NCAA South Central Regional in Warrensburg, Mo.