By Aidan Foutz
Contributing Writer
Newcomer Maud Lambotte shined in her first race for the Wingate women’s cross country team Sept.12 at the Queen City Invite in Charlotte, helping the Bulldogs place 11th among a 20-team field that included Division 1 opponents UNC Charlotte, Wake Forest, USC Upstate, Wofford and Queens.
Lambotte, a sophomore from France, was one of only seven Wingate runners to compete, as several key performers for the Bulldogs sat out while training for upcoming races.
A transfer from Iowa Central Community College, Lambotte ran a personal best of 19:03.93 as Wingate’s top performer in the 5K race, placing 72nd out of 228 athletes. With her unexpected performance, she could be an important runner for the team at bigger events in the future.
“It felt great to be running for this team,” said Lambotte. “This team encourages me to keep improving each run, and I feel like I can do that at each competition that I’m in.”
Wingate Head Coach Pol Domenech was thrilled to be able to get some of his team’s younger runners like Lambotte some vital experience at the McAlpine Creek Park event.
“This first race was an opportunity for our younger runners to get their first marks for our team and some of the returners to improve before championship season,” said Domenech. “It may not be our best performance as a team, but we will be fully ready and able to be at the top again for those [South Atlantic Conference and NCAA] championships.
”Domenech’s team is hosting its own Bulldog Stampede at the Wingate Cross Country Facility on Sept. 20 beginning at 8 a.m. with a full roster of athletes.
Wingate Triangle 