AUGUSTA, Kan. - Senior Mary Goldkamp (Florissant, Mo./McCluer North) finished fifth to pace the women's cross country team and fellow senior Andrew Wieser (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central) was BU's top finisher on the men's side (14th place) as both teams opened the 2010 season Saturday at the J.K. Gold Classic.
Goldkamp turned in a career-best time of 14:08.58 in the women's 4K, finishing 38 seconds behind individual champion Tonya Nero of Wichita State who set a meet record with a time of 13:30.81. Four of Bradley's top six finishers on the women's side were freshmen, with frosh Whitney Schumacher (Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) setting the pace for the newcomers. Schumacher was 12th in the field with a time of 14:38.62, while fellow freshman Cassie Lohmeier (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) was close behind in 14th at 14:45.04.
Senior Lauren Fog also clocked a career-best 4K time at 15:17.73 to finish 25th overall. Freshman Emily Wolbers (Moline, Ill./Moline) was 29th at 15:33.03 and freshman Kayla Austin (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) crossed the line at 16:07.36 to finish 47th.
On the men's side, Wieser was just six seconds from posting a top-10 finish in the field, crossing the line in 14th place with a career-best 6K time of 19:14.93. Fellow senior Billy Miller (Metamora, Ill./Metamora/Illinois Central) claimed 26th with a time of 19:48.82, edging out freshman Nathan Davis (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown), who was 28th overall at 19:50.65.
Senior Zach Bowling (Heyworth, Ill./Heyworth/Danville Area C.C.) and freshman Thomas Harayda (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) crossed the line in 33rd and 34th place with times of 19:57.10 and 19:58.95, respectively. Junior Chris Frank (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart-Griffin) rounded out the top six finishers for the Braves in 42nd place at 20:09.50.
Both the men's and women's cross country teams will return to the RAFT Course in Augusta, Kan., later this season for the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships on Oct. 30.
The Braves will return to action Friday, Sept. 17 at the Illinois Intercollegiates in Normal, Ill., at 5 p.m.