DE PERE, Wis. – North Park Univeristy's Cross Country competed at the Tom Barry Invitational on Saturday at the Shorewood Cross Country Course, with both the women's and men's teams turning in solid performances against a competitive field hosted by St. Norbert College.
The women finished seventh as a team with 188 points in the 5K, posting a combined team time of 2:04:32.19 and an average time of 24:54.44. Freshman Anika Izenbart led the Vikings, placing 47th overall with a time of 22:38.67. Izenbart's performance put her among the top half of the field and established her as North Park's first scorer of the afternoon. Sophomore Melanie Sorisho followed Izenbart as North Park's second finisher, placing 66th in 23:48.84. Cyan Bradley, another sophomore, was next across the line for the Vikings, finishing 73rd in 24:46.52. Junior Lydia Ver Beek placed 81st with a time of 25:39.58, while junior Joaliz Rodriguez completed the Vikings' scoring five in 88th place at 27:38.58. Those five runners combined for the Vikings' 188 team points.
On the men's side, North Park also placed seventh, finishing the 6K with 186 points and a combined team time of 1:54:48.09. The Vikings were paced by freshman Gunner Silva, who delivered a standout performance by placing third overall in 19:12.64. Silva was the top North Park finisher and one of the top runners in the entire field, crossing the finish line just behind the two Wisconsin-Green Bay runners to finish as the top D3 runner in the event. Junior Matthew Carey was North Park's second scorer, finishing 82nd in 22:14.79. Sophomore Eyden Agicic placed 109th with a time of 23:44.14, followed by junior Ricardo Esquivel, who finished 111th in 24:18.58. Freshman Jeremiah Houston rounded out the Vikings' top five, placing 115th in 25:17.94. Together, Silva, Carey, Agicic, Esquivel and Houston accounted for North Park's 186 team points.
The men's race featured a strong overall team field, with MSOE taking first with 26 points, followed by Ripon with 60 and St. Norbert with 76. In the women's race, Ripon claimed the team title with 24 points, ahead of St. Norbert's 46 points and Lawrence's 102. North Park's seventh-place finishes in both races provided an opportunity for the Vikings to test themselves against several regional programs while gaining valuable early-season racing experience.
The Vikings' Cross Country teams will compete in two week's time, when they head to the Gil Dodds Invitational on September 19th, hosted by Wheaton College. Events will start at 10am
