by Kevin Buczek, Director of Athletics Media Relations
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.-Sophomore Ericka Skinner (Hopedale, Ohio) broke up a potentially perfect score by NCAA Division I nationally ranked No. 12 and host University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an impressive fourth place individual finish for Barton College at the UNC Invitational on Friday afternoon at Finley Fields.
Barton finished third in the tri-meet with 61 points. The highly ranked DI Tar Heels posted a near-perfect score of 17 while fellow DI foe Gardner-Webb University held off BC with 46 points.
Barton second year head coach Karen Godlock, who was a three-time ACC cross country champion and All-American for UNC Chapel Hill, was pleased with her team's performance to start the year as she coached a cross country team for the first time at her alma mater.
Skinner – a DII National Championship individual qualifier in 2010 – led the season-opening competition for the first mile of the unique four-kilometer distance race before three UNC harriers caught her late. Skinner clocked in with a blazing speed of 14:42 and was just eight seconds off the winning time of 14:34.
The Lady Bulldogs next three scoring runners all finished within 13 seconds of each other. The freshman tandem of Lauren Andreola (Newport, N.C.) and Cimone Barbour (Dale City, Va.) made impressive collegiate debuts with times of 17:11 and 17:23, respectively. Junior Alexa Tovella (Bartlett, Ill.) was just to the left of Barbour when crossing the finish line nearly even with her at 17:24.
A youthful Barton lineup that featured all underclassmen in the top-five had a third freshman complete its scoring as Andrea Roca traversed the endurance race in 18:34. Ashley Freeman (Cary, N.C.) was the Lady Bulldogs' lone senior to take off and recorded a time of 18:57.
Barton will compete in another DI hosted race at the Adidas Seahawk Invitational hosted by UNC Wilmington on Friday, September 9. The women's 5k race is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., followed by the men's race.
Barton Results
4. Ericka Skinner 14:42.31
11. Lauren Andreola 17:11.71
14. Cimone Barbour 17:23.63
15. Alexa Tovella 17:24.84
17. Andrea Roca 18:34.04
18. Ashley Freeman 18:57.80
