Bloomsburg Cross Country Teams Sweep Husky Invitational

Michael Espinosa

Amber Hackenberg

BLOOMSBURG—Michael Espinosa (Media/Penncrest) and Amber Hackenberg (Middleburg/ Middleburg) won their respective races to lead the Bloomsburg University men's and women's cross country teams to victory at the 2004 Husky Invitational.

In the first race of the day, Espinosa edged out teammate Justin Shepherd (Cranberry Twp./Seneca Valley) to win the men's race. Espinosa finished with a time of 26:36.00, while Shepherd ran the 8,000-meter course in 26:39.70. The Huskies had three more men finish in the top ten in Chip Carnes (Williamsport/Williamsport), Dan Ezzi (Mechanicsburg/Trinity) and Bill Shepardson (McMurray/Peters Twp). Carnes was sixth in 27:29.40, while Ezzi and Shepardson finished in seventh and ninth, respectively, with times of 27:50.20 and 27:58.20. Bloomsburg finished the race with a score of 25, while Millersville and King's College were in second and third with 39 and 89 points, respectively.

The women's team took control of the race early and never looked back as they blew out the competition placing six runners in the top 10 and scoring only 16 points. Penn State cross country club and Millersville were second and third with 64 and 68 points, respectively. Hackenberg won the 6,000-meter race with a time of 23:37.30, while Amanda Pisano (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown) was third in 24:04.10. Karen Hause (Bloomsburg/Central Columbia) and Mary Bacher (New Tripoli/Allentown Central Catholic) finished next for the Huskies in fourth and fifth, with times of 24:22.70 and 24:37.70, respectively. Sarah Bounds (Shippensburg/Shippensburg) and Terri Sutherland (Dauphin/C.D. East) also finished in the top ten, placing sixth and seventh, with times of 24:58.00 and 25:02.60.

The Huskies will travel to State College next weekend to compete in the Penn State Open at 10:00 a.m.