Ortega, Mester continue to pace Firebirds

LANSING – Freshmen Emanuel Ortega (Saginaw Swan Valley) and Noelle Mester (West Branch) again led the mens and womens cross country teams, respectively, for Kirtland Community College, as the Firebirds traveled to the state capital for the Lansing Cross Country Stars Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Ortega finished 21st out of a field of 141 runners competing in the mens 8K race Saturday, crossing the finish line in a solid time of 27 minutes, 19 seconds. That was about two minutes off the winning pace set by Spring Arbor University’s Nathan Martin (1st, 25:10).

“There were 17 schools represented at the invitational,” said Kirtland mens coach Don Haskins Jr. “There were eight ahead of us and eight behind us.

Not every team represented fielded the five runners needed for a team score. But, among the 11 teams that did, the Firebirds finished ninth in the team standings with 264 points. That was just two points behind eighth-place Glen Oaks Community College (262 points).

The event’s host, Lansing Community College, was the top mens team with 35 points.

Also running for the Firebirds were: sophomore Peter Churchill (Mancelona; 101st, 29:43), sophomore Chase Schepke (Roscommon; 117th, 30:30), freshman Kris Kalbfleisch (Hale; 127th, 31:59), sophomore Tim LeForce (Ogemaw Heights/West Branch; 129th, 32:10), freshman Andy St. Clair (Onaway; 132nd, 32:36) and sophomore Mike Morris (Ogemaw Heights/West Branch; 133rd, 32:47).

“I thought it went pretty well,” Haskin said. “I was pleased.”

As she’s done all season, Mester was the first Lady Firebird to finish and posted a time of 20:35 on the 5K course at Grand Woods Park, good for 38th out of field of 109 competitors in the womens race. Like Ortega in the mens race, Mester was just a little more than two minutes off the winning time of 18:27 posted by Lisa Montgomery of the L&L Track Club.

Other Lady Firebirds competing at Lansing included: freshman Christina Leinmuller (Germany; 89th, 23:01), sophomore Heather Villarreal (Ogemaw Heights/Alger; 98th, 24:19), Jo’ell Cruse (Indian River; 101st, 25:07) and Hailey McMahon (Grayling; 107th, 27:41).

As a team, the Lady Firebirds finished in 10th place with 283 points. Hope College took first-place honors with 45 points, just one point better than runner-up Lansing Community College (46 points).

Complete race results for the Lansing Cross Country Stars Invitational can be found online at www.runningfoundation.com/LCC_CC_Page.html.

For more information on Kirtland athletics, visit online at firebirds.kirtland.edu or call 989-275-5000, extension 385.