Oct. 15, 2022, MUSKEGON, Mich. – Kaylee Scott set a Grand Rapids Community College record and all 15 GRCC cross country runners set personal records at the Muskegon Community College Invitational on Saturday, helping their teams to top-five finishes.
Scott led the No. 6-ranked women's team to a fifth-place finish, behind top-ranked Lansing and three four-year colleges. Her time of 19:12.7 was eight seconds better than Stephanie Thomas' record time, making Scott the fastest Raider runner since GRCC started cross country again in 2014.
Audrey Meyering and Rose Meyer also broke 20 minutes, with times of 19:29 and 19:34, finishing in the top 20.
Meyer set her personal record by 58 seconds, but freshman Samantha Sixberry posted the largest gain, running a 21 flat, bettering her personal record by nearly a minute and a half.
"The women have been working very hard at practices and I'm thrilled that their hard work can result in the great race results today," head women's coach Sharon Becker said. "I am very happy for them and proud of this team. It is fantastic that Kaylee now has earned the title of ‘fastest female Raider’ and I'm also thrilled for Rose, who ran under 20 minutes for the first time. Samantha also really shined today and proved she can help our team- running in the top-five for our team for the first time is amazing."
Men’s team coach Rob Hyde also was pleased with his team’s performance.
“When you have all your runners set a PR, things are going in the right direction,” he said. “We were closer to Lansing than we have been all season. And, actually, being one runner short (Craig Fuller), it really gave our four and five runners a goal to fill that gap. We have two weeks until regionals and our training cycle is still focused on building. All-in -ll a great spot to be, excited for the championship season to start."
GRCC's men's team, ranked No. 10 in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll, finished in fourth place, only behind Grand Valley State University's A and B team and No. 1 ranked Lansing Community College.
Freshman Mason Kolhoff paced the Raiders with a 25:24 finishing in 18th place while All-American Clark Coleman finished four spots behind him with a time of 25:48.
Three other GRCC runners bested their personal records by more than a minute: Dan Kehoe, by 1:12 with a time of 26:20; Andrew Periard, by 1:09 with a time of 26:28; and Derek Hopkins, by 1:07 with a time of 27:41.
Both teams will have two weeks off to prepare for the Region XII Championships that will take place Oct. 29 in Grand Rapids at the Gainey Athletic Complex.