The Eastern Mennonite cross country teams kicked off their 2012 season in fine fashion Friday, hosting the EMU Royals Invitational.聽 Freshman (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton) had a sterling start to her career, topping the field of 72 runners while the team took second overall.
Chappell-Dick was locked in a back-and-forth finish with Washington and Lee’s senior Lauren Schultz, with EMU’s rookie making the final pass to win by two seconds.聽 With her time of 24:53, Chappell-Dick not only won the ODAC Preview race, but also had EMU’s top time ever on the 6k course at Peakview.
Fellow freshman (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) took sixth place with her time of 25:36.聽 She also tied for the third-best clocking by an EMU woman on the course.
A pack of three runners provided the Lady Royals’ final points.聽 (Quarryville, PA/Solanco) was 14th in 26:33, followed by (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) in 26:38.聽 (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) was one more spot behind in 26:56, as the women took second out of nine teams with 52 points.聽 WLU grabbed the team crown with just 33 points.
(Goshen, IN/Goshen) was 35th for EMU in 29:25.聽 (Matoaca, VA/Matoaca) crossed in 29:39 and Hannah Clemmer (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) clocked at 30:06.聽 (Gap, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) crossed in 31:25.
The Lady Royals next run at the Lebanon Valley College Invite next Saturday in Annville, PA.