by Kevin Buczek, Director of Athletics Media Relations
WILMINGTON, N.C.-Sophomore Ericka Skinner (Hopedale, Ohio) captured her first individual victory by winning the 22nd UNC Wilmington Seahawk Invitational on Friday evening leading the Barton College women's cross country team to a fourth place finish out of 11 teams.
The Bulldogs were the top NCAA Division II finisher in the DI hosted event with 120 points. Campbell University won with 26 points, the host Seahawks took second with 49 points and NC State Club rounded out the top three with 107. Amongst the teams Barton beat included Conference Carolinas rivals Pfeiffer University and Coker College and Southeast Region foes Francis Marion University and St. Andrews Presbyterian College.
Skinner dominated the 5k race winning by 25 seconds and finishing directly ahead of seven consecutive DI harriers. Skinner led the journey around the UNCW campus recreation fields in a PR time of 18 minutes and 12 seconds. Skinner's previous collegiate best was 18:16 in the 2010 Conference Carolinas Championships.
Skinner – a 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship individual qualifier – had five top-10 finishes as a freshman and started 2011 with a fourth place result at the UNC Invitational last week before seizing her first individual title on Friday.
Barton had all five of its scoring runners finished in the top-50 of the Seahawk Invitational that featured 97 runners.
Freshman Lauren Andreola (Newport, N.C.) and junior Alexa Tovella (Bartlett, Ill.) led a wave of Bulldog runners to the finish line with times of 21:38 and 21:40, respectively, for 35th and 36th place. Freshman Cimone Barbour (Dale City, Va.) followed in 45th at 22:10 and classmate Andrea Roca (Jacksonville, N.C.) took 50th at 22:37.
The race marked the first collegiate 5k for Andreola, Barbour and Roca.
Other results for the Lady Bulldogs included senior Ashley Freeman (Cary, N.C.) clocking in at 24:08 and freshman Schylar Cook (Dornsife, Pa.) making her collegiate debut in 26:43.16.
Barton will compete in its third consecutive DI hosted race in three weeks at the Elon Invitational on Saturday, September 17. The women's race begins at 9 a.m., followed by the men's competition at 9:45 a.m.
Barton Results
1. Ericka Skinner 18:12.09
35. Lauren Andreola 21:38.70
36. Alexa Tovella 21:40.71
45. Cimone Barbour 22:10.43
50. Andrea Roca 22:37.80
66. Ashley Freeman 24:08.69
87. Schylar Cook 26:43.16
