ALLY SEEVERS/THE CREIGHTONIAN
Creighton cross country senior Tommy Murray leads the pack in the men’s 8K at the Platte River Rumble “Collegiate.” Murray earned his second consecutive victory with a time of 24:48.7.
Senior Tommy Murray secured his second-consecutive victory while senior Taylor Rorick recorded her third-straight top-10 finish as the Creighton men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Platte River Rumble “Collegiate” on Oct. 17 at the Olsson Cross Country Course.
The meet served as Creighton’s final home competition before the Big East Cross Country Championships. With temperatures around 50 degrees and wind gusts reaching 30 miles per hour, the Bluejays faced challenging conditions as they prepared for the conference championship.
“It’s always a good opportunity to prepare for the Big East, race and compete, and get a feel for what that’s like before a bigger race where there’s going to be really good competition,” Rorick said.
The men finished second among seven teams with 59 points, trailing South Dakota State’s 26. Murray led the Bluejays individually, finishing the 8K race with a time of 24:48.7.
After opening the race in seventh place at the 1K mark, Murray worked his way into the lead by the 5K split. He briefly fell back to third at 7K before making his final move on the closing incline, passing South Dakota State runners Sully Anez and Dale Johnson to secure the win.
The victory marked another milestone for Murray, who won the Briar Cliff Invitational two weeks earlier. After missing competition last season with a stress fracture, the senior has returned to the course with back-to-back victories.
“I was devastated to have to sit out last year with my stress fracture,” Murray said. “My teammates and the community helped me through it and made me believe it was possible to get back to this point. I want to give all the credit to them. There were all those days when I was sitting or walking, or on the bike trying to get some fitness in, when I thought, ‘This is the moment I did all that work for.’ I’m just glad to be back in this position again.”
Freshman A.J. Abeyta also delivered a strong performance, finishing sixth in 25:18.4 for his second top-10 finish in as many races. Andrew Sauer placed 13th in 25:36.7, followed by Owen Marett in 18th at 25:46.7 and Lucas Bossinger in 22nd at 25:52.4 to round out Creighton’s scoring five.
“On the men’s side, we’ve had a victory every single meet,” interim head coach, Matthew Fayers, said. “Tommy backed up his win from Briar Cliff. [We had some] really solid performances.”
On the women’s side, Creighton finished third with 109 points, narrowly behind South Dakota State’s 108. Omaha finished fourth with 111 points, making for a close battle among the three programs.
Rorick paced the Bluejays, finishing seventh in the 6K with a time of 22:41.9. Freshman Tatum Neilson followed in 13th at 22:52.6. Sophomores Sophia Redler and Atlee Wallman finished 24th and 28th, respectively, while junior Alexis Leone and freshman Emma Vecchio placed 43rd and 44th.
“We were missing two of our top five, so it was really good to see the team compete regardless,” Fayers said. “Going against that competition is really valuable heading into Big East. We look at Villanova, Georgetown and some of those other teams that are really, really good.”
The meet also provided an opportunity to recognize Creighton’s seniors. Fayers and assistant coach Taylor Somers honored Claire Pyne, Rorick, Scarlett Pearlman, Kaylee Tobaben, Sophia Valentine, Dominic Ricci and Ryan Hendrickson.
Fayers highlighted the impact each senior has made on the program, both as a competitor and a teammate.
“Ricci is a fifth-year, so I’m sure he feels a little bit like a grandpa now. He’s a fantastic role model and leader,” Fayers said. “Taylor is huge to replace. She’s been our number one pretty much her entire time here. Scarlett and Claire got to end it on their terms, too. Kaylee: we’ve only had her for a year, but man, such a good person…. They’re fantastic athletes, but even better people, and that’s what Creighton is all about.”
For Rorick, competing at the home course for the final time carried additional significance as she reflected on her career with the Bluejays.
“It’s really special. I love being a Bluejay,” Rorick said. “I have amazing coaches and teammates, and every day with my girls is such a special day. I’m just so lucky to be here. It means a lot to me to be a Bluejay.”
With the regular season complete, Creighton will turn its attention to the Big East Cross Country Championships in Mechanicsville, Virginia, today. The women’s race is at 9 a.m., with the men to follow at 9:50 a.m.