Full Results
CEDARVILLE, Ohio (10/31/2015) -- Junior
Samantha Zakalowski and senior
Zeinab Baydoun each earned All-Horizon League honors as the University of Detroit Mercy women's cross country team took fifth place at the Horizon League Championship on Saturday.
As a team, Detroit totaled 135 points on the 6k Elvin R. King Cross Country Course in Cedarville, Ohio. The race was the first 6k of the season for the red, white and blue.
Zakalowski was First Team All-Horizon League as she claimed seventh in a career 6k time of 22:32, while Baydoun was 13th in 22:32 for Second Team accolades. It is the first time since 2001 that Detroit had two players in the top 14 for All-League consideration.
Sophomore
Taylor Smith was 34th in 23:25, while junior
Devon Sutton finished 43rd in 23:43.
The Titans will now get ready for another postseason race as they run in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship on Friday, Nov. 13, held at the University of Wisconsin.
THE FINISH LINEQUOTE OF THE RACE- "Just a great run by Samantha (Zakalowski) and Zeinab (Baydoun). They worked their way up the whole race with some great running in the last 2k." - Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Guy Murray '89
TWO TITANS EARN HONORS- Junior Samantha Zakalowski and senior Zeinab Baydoun both received All-Horizon League accolades with top 13 finishes, the first time Detroit has had multiple runners in the top 14 since 2001 when Kim Hemstreet and Ruthie Cook earned All-HL.
ZAK-ER-RIFIC- Junior Samantha Zakalowski led Detroit for the third-straight race as she was All-Horizon League for the first time in her career.
- By taking seventh place, she was First Team All-Horizon League, the first by a Titan since Louisa Coppola in 2012 and 2013.
- Her time of 22:32 was also nearly two minutes faster than her previous 6k career time of 24:11 at the Penn State National last season.
- In her two previous HL races, she took 55th as a sophomore and 54th as a freshman.
ENDING IT WITH AN HONOR- Senior Zeinab Baydoun was so close to All-HL honors last year when she claimed 16th place, but she would not be denied this season taking 13th for Second Team accolades.
- It is the first time in her career she was All-HL as she was 16th last season, 31st as a junior and 25th as a freshman.
- Her 22:43 time was just 10 seconds shy of her PR of 22:33 at last year's conference event.
ANOTHER PR- Sophomore Sydney Shaw recorded a career 6k mark as she was 72nd in 24:50, 10 seconds better than her 25:00 time at last year's HL race.
FIRST 6K- The race was the first 6k of the season for Detroit as the Titans get ready for another 6k in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship.
MEET WRAP-UP- "This was quite a season for Samantha as she really improved in every race. She is a great competitor and set her kick up to get First Team All-League with some tough running. It was also a great honor for Zeinab to get All-Horizon League. She is a true Titan for life coming back to help our small roster and she got better and better each week and it was great to see her pick up three spots from last year." - Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Guy Murray '89
UP NEXT- The Titans will gear up for another race with the annual NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship, hosted by Wisconsin at the Zimmer National Cross Country Course on Nov. 13.
