Defiance Front Pack Shows Strong Performance in Season-Opener

BLUFFTON, OHIO -- The Defiance College women's cross country team placed eighth out of ten teams in the season-opening Back to the Nature Preserve Invitational in Bluffton on Friday.

DC was paced by junior Olivia Fett (Defiance), who placed 30th in her first meet at Defiance with a time of 20:44.9 in the five-kilometer race. Senior Aaron Textor (Swanton) followed closely behind in 39th place with a time of 21:35.8. Freshman Kenna Bell (Piqua) rounded out the pack of three girls inside the top 50, as she debuted with a time of 21:52.4

Freshman Makenzie Sides (Vanderbilt, Mich./Johannesburg-Lewiston) placed 85th with a time of 27:46.0, while freshman Meagan Trimpey (Bowling Green) rounded out the field for DC with an 89th place finish.

Ohio Northern earned a victory in the team standings with 61 points, 11 ahead of the University of Findlay. Ohio Christian, Bluffton and Indiana University-Kokomo ran in the top five. Defiance placed in the eighth position, ahead of Tiffin University and Lourdes University.

The Yellow Jackets will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 9 as they travel to Delaware, Ohio to run the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational.