NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Ella Donaghu and Zofia Dudek placed first and second at the UNLV Battle Born Collegiate Challenge on Friday highlighting Stanford performances as the Cardinal heads into the postseason.
Stanford placed all five scorers among the top 12 to finish second in the men's race, and the Cardinal women placed second in a race that included six teams ranked among the top 16 in the USTFCCCA coaches' poll.
Donaghu earned her second victory in as many races this season, winning the Florida State Winter Classic on Feb. 5. Dudek , a true freshman, was third in that race.
No. 4 New Mexico won the women's race with 60 points, followed by No. 6 Stanford with 85, No. 16 Northern Arizona (100), No. 11 Boise State (101), No. 5 Colorado (102), and No. 9 Washington (102).
Dudek, the 2019 Foot Locker national high school cross country champion, carried a slight lead for much of the race as the front pack trimmed to five with a kilometer to go. Donaghu, the 2019 NCAA West Regional champion, had the best finish and clocked 19:44.0 on the 6-kilometer (3.73-mile) course at Craig Ranch Regional Park. Dudek finished in 19:48.9, with both runners well ahead of the rest of the field.
Stanford's top five also included Julia Heymach in 13th, All-American Jessica Lawson in 21st and true freshman Lucy Jenks in 49th. This was the first time for Jenks for Stanford in an 'A' women's race.
The Stanford men were paced by redshirt freshman Charles Hicks, who was sixth over the 8K (4.97-mile) course in 22:57.9. The rest of the top five finished consecutively from ninth through 12th – in order Cole Sprout, Devin Hart, DJ Principe, and All-American Alek Parsons. The top five finished with 30 seconds of each other.
No. 2 Northern Arizona, which placed four in the top five, won with 20 points. No. 5 Stanford was next with 48, and No. 10 Colorado was third with 70.
Stanford next competes at the Pac-12 Championships in University Place, Washington, on March 5. The NCAA Championships follow on March 15 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
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UNLV Battle Born Collegiate Challenge
At Craig Ranch Regional Park
Yellow Races
Men (8K, 4.97 miles)
Team leaders: 1, Northern Arizona 20; 2, Stanford 48; 3, Colorado 70; 4, Southern Utah 111; 5, Cal Baptist 152.
Winner and Stanford: 1, Abdihamid Nur (Northern Arizona) 22:30.5; 6, Charles Hicks (Stanford) 22:57.9; 9, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 23:23.6; 10, Devin Hart (Stanford) 23:24.4; 11, DJ Principe (Stanford) 23:26.0; 12, Alek Parsons (Stanford) 23:27.0; 18, Michael Vernau (Stanford) 23:36.7; 23, Callum Bolger (Stanford) 23:46.7; 27, Thomas Boyden (Stanford) 23:51.8; 34, Ky Robinson (Stanford) 24:01.2; 72, Evan Burke (Stanford) 25:15.3.
Women (6K, 3.73 miles)
Team leaders: 1, New Mexico 60; 2, Stanford 85; 3, Northern Arizona 100; 4, Boise State 101; 5, Colorado 102; 6, Washington 132.
Winner and Stanford: 1, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 19:44.0; 2, Zofia Dudek (Stanford) 19:48.9; 13, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 20:12.2; 21, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 20:22.1; 49, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 21:01.0; 62, Aubrey Roberts (Stanford) 21:17.2; 67, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 21:23.2; 77, Rebecca Story (Stanford) 21:38.6.
Green Races
Men (8K, 4.97 miles)
Stanford: 2, Liam Conway 24:34.5.
Women (6K, 3.73 miles)
Stanford: 4, Abi Archer 21:14.2; 16, Tori Starcher 21:55.4.
