By Isabella Custodi, Sports Reporter
Freshman Ella Krumpek placed second in her collegiate debut at the Little Three Championships at Beaver Island in Grand Island, NY on Sept. 6.
Krumpek said her goal was to place in the top ten for the women and top five on her team for the women’s 5k. She exceeded those expectations with a second place finish, beating her personal best with a time of 18:31.7.
“When I crossed the finish line, my first thought was disbelief that I just placed second, and following that was the realization that I just pr[personal record]’d my 5k by over a minute and a half,” she said.
Krumpek ran track in high school and would have never expected she’d compete cross country in college. This past summer, she dedicated hours to running to prepare herself for her upcoming freshman season, as she knew she had to put in the work to accomplish her goals.
“I went into the meet with no pressure attached, and it was nice to race a course as an underdog rather than someone who was expected to win it all. When I placed second in my college debut, that was evidence to me that all the miles and hours I put into running all summer were worth something. I know I can progress so much more with consistent training, and I am excited to see what the rest of the season will bring,” said Krumpek.
In first place was Canisius senior Kayla Schmidt with a time of 18:30.1. Following Krumpek for the Griffs were freshmen Natalie Latchaw in sixth (19:10.6), junior Jacqueline Appenheimer in ninth (19:18.5), and senior Taylor Heschke in tenth (19:19.9).
Due to Schmidt and Krumpek’s efforts, the Canisius women took home first place with 32 points, beating St. Bonaventure and Niagara.
Next up for cross country is the National Catholic Championships in South Bend, Indiana on Sept. 20.
Photo courtesy of Via Jace Wallace
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