Full Results
DETROIT (9/18/2015) -- Junior
Devon Sutton led four Titans under 20 minutes as the University of Detroit Mercy women's cross country team competed at the 36th Annual National Catholic Championship on Friday.
The 5k race was held at the Burke Golf Course with the Titans placing 11th in Division I with 341 points.
Sutton was well below the 20-minute barrier for the second-straight week as she took 95th in 19:24. Junior
Samantha Zakalowski earned a top-100 finish placing 100th in 19:28, her best run ever at Notre Dame.
THE FINISH LINEQUOTE OF THE NIGHT- "After last week's cool conditions, high humidity made for some tougher conditions." – Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Guy Murray '89.
HISTORIC RACE- This was the 36th running of the National Catholic Championships as the event started as a men's only race with the women's starting in 1984.
- Since it started, the Titans have run in every race and is one of only two events the Titans have always appeared in since 1984 along with the Horizon League Championship.
- UDM has also run in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship since 84, but it has changed formats over the years and was known as districts until 1998.
SEEN IT ALL- Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Guy Murray '89 has raced or coached at 34 of the 36 National Catholic Championships.
KEEPING THE PACE- Junior Devon Sutton now has six career 5k times under 20 minutes, including back-to-back weeks after clocking a personal-record 19:08 last week.
- It was the first time in her career that she led the Titans in a race.
PR AT NOTRE DAME- Junior Samantha Zakalowski set a course PR on the day in taking 100th in 19:24. Her previous best on Notre Dame's Burke Golf Course was 19:48 as a freshman.
ANOTHER SUB 20- Sophomore Sydnie Fetherolf posted a time of 19:42 for her sixth career sub-20 5k race in six attempts.
FAMILY TRADITION- Sophomore Jenny Ponkowski earned 134th in 19:55. Her mother, Nancy Drolshagen, was a member of the very first Titan cross country team in 1984 and she also raced in the very first women's race that year. At that time, it was a 3.2-mile run.
SHAW'S IMPROVEMENT- Sophomores Sydney Shaw clocked a 20:58, besting her time she ran last year on the course by 17 seconds.
WRAP UP- "It is tough to run three weeks in a row, and especially tough coming off the course at Cass Benton Park. We didn't get the best start in the crowded field, but Devon ran really well and Samantha is running at a great PR level." – Coach Murray
UP NEXT- After running three races in three-straight weeks, Detroit will have a week off before returning to action on October. 3.
