ASHLAND, Neb. -- Madison Nelson continued her outstanding sophomore season with a top-twenty finish at Friday's Platte River Rumble hosted by Creighton and UNO. The meet was held under fall-like conditions with overcast skies and temperatures in the fifties over the undulating two-kilometer loop at Mahoney State Park. The Bruin women ran the NCAA distance of six kilometers for the first time this season in a field of 124 runners comprised of mostly NCAA Division I and Division II athletes.
The extra kilometer seemed to have no impact on Nelson as she continued to catch runners throughout the race. She passed by one kilometer in approximately fiftieth position, continued to move up as she passed the five-kilometer split in 18:21 (which would have been a personal record by 13 seconds) and continued to the finish line crossing in 22:06.7 and a 18th place position.
Hannah Perkins continued her strong running of late with a 24:43.7 time and 84th place finish. Finally, Claire Kimutai ran near her season best for the five-kilometer split and competed hard over the last thousand meters to finish 116th in 28:51.8.
Head Coach Craig Christians: "It was a great day for the women and the healthy ones that we've got running continue to impress. What can I say about Madison, except that she continues to exceed all of my expectations. She is turning into one of the very top runners in the NAIA, and it's so cool to watch her mix it up with this level of competition. I was proud of the way Hannah and Claire attacked the extra kilometer today. There was no fear…they raced through 5K and hung on to the finish. They should all be very satisfied with their performances today."
The Bruins conclude their regular season next Saturday when they travel to Yankton, S.D., for the Mount Marty Invitational.
