FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 30, 2021) - The Northern Arizona women are traveling to Bethlehem, Penn. to compete in the 47th annual Paul Short Run, on Friday, Oct. 1, hosted by Lehigh University.
The Lumberjack women will compete in the open race, beginning at 7 A.M. (MST), and the six kilometer gold race, beginning at 8:45 A.M. (MST). No. 15 Georgetown will be the only other women's nationally ranked team attending the meet.
This is the first meet the NAU women will race in since their opening appearance at the George Kyte Classic on Sept. 4; senior
Pipi Eitel returns to competition after her individual win in Flagstaff earlier this month. Redshirt sophomores
Jesselyn Bries and
Meagan Van Pelt, redshirt freshman
Elise Stearns, and freshman
Alexis Kebbe will also be coming off of the George Kyte Classic team victory.
Also competing in the gold race, and making their season debuts are senior
Delaney Rasmussen, All-American junior
Taryn O'Neill, junior
Bryn Morley, redshirt junior
Hannah Behunin, and sophomore
Annika Reiss.
The first mile of the course will be telling, as the crescent shaped starting line leads into a sharp turn that quickly funnels into the thick corn field. However, as the runners move into mile two, they regain room to breathe and separation between athletes becomes clear. The remainder of the race features slight inclines, until the final declining slope that leads directly into the finish.
Senior
Jenna McCaffrey, juniors
Abby Riordan and
Luna Slater, redshirt sophomore
Chloe Painter, and freshman
Maggi Congdon are scheduled to compete in the open race for Lumberjacks on Friday as well.