Rio Grande News
Cassie Mattia was runner-up at the Rio Invitational
Cassie Mattia was runner-up at the Rio Invitational
Sat, Sep 26, 2009 - [Women's Cross Country]
September 26, 2009

RedStorm men win The Rio; women runner-up

Rio Grande --- The University of Rio Grande RedStorm men's and women's cross country teams produced strong efforts on Saturday morning at the rainy, soggy 39th
 Annual Rio Grande Invitational at the Stanley Evans Complex. The Rio men won the event with a near perfect score of 16 points. The women were runner-up, compiling 35 points. 
The women's race began the event and in a driving rain, the RedStorm challenged a very strong Alderson-Broaddus squad only to come up short. The Battlers won the women's race with 27 points.

Rio once again ran in a pack and captured the 2-4 places in the race. Junior Cassie Mattia (West Chester, OH), for the second week in a row, was the top women's finisher for Rio Grande. Mattia was second overall with a time of 21:01. Senior Stacey Arnett (Laurelville, OH) was third overall and she covered the 3.1-mile course in 21:06. Sophomore Kayla Renner (Galloway, OH) ran fourth with a time of 21:07.

Freshman Amy Lower (Lancaster, OH) was ninth overall as Rio had four runners in the top 10. Lower finished with a time of 22:18.

Sophomore Molly Roark (South Webster, OH), 17th (23:02); junior Beth Hysell (Pomeroy, OH), 21st (23:10); sophomore Danielle Stockham (London, OH), 24th (23:34) rounded out the scoring for Rio
Grande.
 
Other RedStorm women results: Freshman Holly Haines (McConnellsville, OH), 28th (23:52) and junior Hillary Haines (McConnellsville, OH), 32nd (24:11). 
 

"I thought our ladies did a nice job, battling the elements today and that was telling. I thought we did a good job, ran stronger," Willey said. "I thought they did a nice job, they packed up well together."

Ashley Teets of Alderson-Broaddus was the overall individual winner with a time of 20:50. The Battlers took five of the top 10 spots in the race. 
 

After AB and Rio, the University of Charleston (WV) finished third with 72 points. Cedarville's "B" team was fourth (94) followed by Glenville State, 5th (142) and Ohio Valley University, 6th (160).

There were 69 runners in the women's race. 
 

Next up: Rio Grande will run in the All-Ohio Championships at Ohio Wesleyan on Friday, October 2. The meet begins at 2:45 p.m.