Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
FSU XC Open
Eastern Cross Country Gains Experience at FSU XC Open
9/17/2021 9:04:00 AM | Men's XC, Women's XC
Baldvin Magnusson finishes seventh in the 8K race with a time of 24:03.7
MEN'S RESULTS | WOMEN'S RESULTS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University cross country program battled the heat and humidity this morning, Sept. 17, at the FSU XC Open in Tallahassee, Fla. At Florida State University's Apalachee Regional Park course, both EMU teams gained experience against several nationally-ranked institutions such as Brigham Young University, Furman University, and Stanford University.
"It was a solid day for our women," said Director/Head Coach Sue Parks. "We did not get out well but we continued to move forward throughout the race. Both our men and women gained valuable experience that will help us down the road."
"It was a really solid opener for most of the guys," added Head Coach Mark Rinker. "Vinny and Toby ran really well at the front to lead the guys. We still have a lot of work to do this season but this set a good marker for our progress. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks."
The Eastern Michigan University cross country program will host the Mid-American Conference Championships Saturday, Oct. 30, at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Ypsilanti, Mich. For updates on all things Eastern Michigan cross country and track and field, continue to check EMUEagles.com or follow the team on Instagram and Twitter, @EMUXC_TF, and Facebook, @EMUXCTF.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Junior Baldvin Magnusson (Akureyri, Iceland-Hull University) made his presence known in his season debut, pacing the Eagles with a seventh-place finish in the 8K race with a time of 24:03.7. Freshman teammate Toby Gualter (Tawa, New Zealand-Tawa College) had a strong showing as well, moving up seven spots near the end of the race to notch 14th in 24:21.3 for personal-best 8K time. Additionally, sophomore Josh Hill (Amherst, Ohio-Amherst Steele) made an appearance for the first time since 2019 and took 30th as he crossed the finish line in 24:47.1 for a PR.
Furthermore, Andy Payne (Worthington, Ohio-Thomas Worthington) and sophomore Chris Devaney (New Plymouth, New Zealand-New Plymouth) finished 43rd (25:07.6) and 67th (25:38.9), respectively, to round out the Green and Yellow's top-5. Overall, the men's team finished fifth with 143 points out of 26 schools while Stanford earned the team victory with 32 points.
On the women's side, sophomore Esme Davies (Lake District, England-Queen Elizabeth Grammar School) led the charge for the Eagles, moving up throughout the entire race to notch 43rd in 22:24.3 in the 6K race. Freshman Sofia Ivanko followed closely behind, clocking in with a personal-best time of 22:34.5 for 52nd while junior captain Kaitlyn St. Bernard (Newport, Mich.-Jefferson) finished 79th with a time of 23:08.2.
Coming in right behind St. Bernard was classmate Lexi Seifert (Waterford, Pa.-Villa Maria Academy) as she grabbed 80th in 23:08.4. Lastly, in her first-ever 6K, freshman Marta Moreno (Wassenaar, The Netherlands-American School of the Hague) moved up 11 spots in the final kilometer to place 95th in 23:26.6 to round out the scoring. As a team, the Green and White finished ninth out of 29 schools with 283 points and topped a "Power Five" foe in Auburn (11th-317). The reigning NCAA Champions, Brigham Young, captured the meet victory with 24 points.
MEET NOTES
FSU XC Open
Tallahassee, Fla. | Sept. 17, 2021
* = Personal-best
5. Eastern Michigan 143
Men's Individual Results
7. Baldvin Magnusson 24:03.7
14. Toby Gualter 24:21.3*
30. Josh Hill 24:47.1*
43. Andy Payne 25:07.6
67. Chris Devaney 25:38.9
68. Noah Perrin 25:41.9
83. Solomon Costa 25:55.3
Women's Team Results
9. Eastern Michigan 283
Women's Individual Results
43. Esme Davies 22:24.3
52. Sofia Ivanko 22:34.5
79. Kaitlyn St. Bernard 23:08.2
80. Lexi Seifert 23:08.4
95. Marta Moreno 23:26.6.
97. Olivia Chandler 23:26.8
154. Chloie Musta 24:26.8
UP NEXT
The Eagles will now have two weeks to recover and train for the Joe Piane Invitational, Oct. 1. The University of Notre Dame will host the meet in South Bend, Ind. with the first race set to begin at 11 a.m. More information will be made available as the meet draws closer.
Players Mentioned
