Full Results
Titans History At Greater Louisville Classic
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (10/3/2015) -- Junior
Samantha Zakalowski set a career mark by 15 seconds and six Titans crossed the finish line under 20 minutes as the University of Detroit Mercy women's cross country team claimed 14th at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday.
Detroit posted 461 points in the 5k Blue Race for the lowest points and best finish at the event since taking fourth with 128 points in 2007.
Zakalowski was 61st in 19:00, the second time this season she has lowered her PR, which she just set with a 19:15 time at the 29th Annual Running Fit-Detroit Titans Invitational. She had also never run under 20:14 in her previous two races at Louisville and her time is the third-best mark in school history at the GLC.
Sophomore
Taylor Smith just missed a PR by three seconds as she was 89th in 19:17, while sophomore
Sydnie Fetherolf ran a course low by 28 seconds taking 102nd in 19:24.
The red, white and blue will have one more regular season event before the Horizon League Championship as the Titans take part in the Canisius Alumni Classic in two weeks, Oct. 17.
THE FINISH LINEQUOTE OF THE MEET- "This was our best top-five average at Louisville in school history." - Guy Murray '89 – Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
TEAM HIGH- Detroit's 14th-place effort at the Greater Louisville Classic was its best since claiming fourth in 2007.
- The 461 points was also the lowest since totaling 129 in that 2007 race.
UNDER 20- The Titans had six runners go under 20 minutes in the 5k race, resulting in a pair of top-100 performances.
BIG PR DAY FOR ZAKALOWSKI- Samantha Zakalowski set a 5k personal record for the second time in three races as she just missed the under 19:00-minute mark with a flat 19:00 time for 61st.
- She broke her PR of 19:15 that was just set at the 29th Annual Running Fit-Detroit Titans Invitational in early September.
- Her two previous races at Louisville were clocked at 20:49 in 2013 and 20:14 last year.
- The 19:00 is also the third best time by a Titan at Louisville in school history behind the 18:03 by Louisa Coppola in 2013 and the 18:47 by Zeinab Baydoun last season.
FIRST IN- Samantha Zakalowski led the team for the first time in her career.
- It was her third-straight race under 20 minutes and the fourth time in her career that she has gone under 20.
SMITH'S NEAR MISS- Taylor Smith was on pace for her new 5k career low, but ended up just missing the mark by three seconds with her 19:17 time.
- The 19:17 time is the ninth best run by a Titan at the Greater Louisville Classic.
- It was seven seconds faster than her run on the course last year.
FETHEROLF SHAVES 27 SECONDS AT GLC- Sydnie Fetherolf was the third Titan in at 19:24, an improvement by 28 seconds from her race at the event as a rookie.
- She has now run under 20 minutes in all six 5k races she has competed in.
JENNY-O- Jenny Ponkowski came close to establishing a new career low clocking a 19:42, just six ticks shy of her 19:36 at the Titan home meet.
- It was also 26 seconds better than her time at the Greater Louisville Classic as a freshman.
- She has now run under 20 minutes in all three 5k races on the year.
RETURNING TO FORM- Zeinab Baydoun took over a minute off her season debut at the National Catholic Championship, finishing in 19:55.
- It was also her 10th career 5k race that she has been under 20 minutes.
WRAP-UP- "A very good day for us. Samantha (Zakalowski) had a great run pushing our pack forward. We maintained our top five spread and got six runners under 20." Guy Murray '89 – Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
UP NEXT- Detroit will have one more regular season meet before the Horizon League Championship as the Titans head back to upstate New York to run in the Canisius Alumni Classic.
