Women's Cross Country Runners Compete At Bluffton

BLUFFTON, OHIO  --  The Defiance College women's cross country team competed as individuals at the season-opening Back to the Nature Preserve Invitational hosted by Bluffton University.

Defiance had three competitors in the field of 87 runners that included the junior trio of Aaron Textor (Swanton), Brooke Waidelich (Pettisville) and Laura Lutzke (Williamston, Mich./Williamston).

Textor posted the top overall time for the Jackets with a personal-best time of 21:23.04 and placed 42nd overall.

Waidelich completed the 5K event in a time of 29:17.84 and Lutzke finished two places back after posting a time of 34:08.32.

The University of Findlay captured the team title with a score of 46 points.  Ohio Northern University finished in a close second with 47 points and Heidelberg University rounded out the top-three schools with 73 points.

Defiance will next compete at the Otterbein University Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 17 in Westerville, Ohio.  The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.