TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Ryan Hill and John Martinez turned in strong performances Saturday to lead 21st-ranked NC State to a ninth-place finish in the NCAA Pre-Nationals Blue Race, held at the campus of Indiana State University.
Hill, a sophomore who won his first two races of the 2009 season, finished ninth in the Blue Race, 22 seconds behind individual winner Luke Puskedra of seventh-ranked Oregon. Martinez, a senior and the Wolfpack’s lone upperclassman, finished 24th overall.
Paced by Puskedra and Danny Mercado, who finished sixth overall, Oregon scored 79 points and rolled to an easy victory over runner-up third-ranked Alabama, which scored 114. No. 2 Northern Arizona was third at 115, followed by No. 9 William & Mary (128 points), No. 14 Washington (183), Auburn (263), Washington State (274), No. 27 Tulsa (281), and the Wolfpack at 294. Cal Poly, ranked No. 29, rounded out the top 10 team finishers in the Blue Race with a score of 303.
Courtesy: NC State
