Rauber Wins Pan-Am U20 XC Champs, Bishop Finishes Second


* Tully (NY) High School junior Brooke Rauber won the Pan American U20 women's race on Saturday

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In her first international race on Saturday in Canada, Tully (NY) High School junior Brooke Rauber found the right moves late to secure a massive achievement. 

Rauber became the second American woman and high school student-athlete from New York to win an international junior cross country championship since Kelsey Chmiel, winning the Pan American U20 Cross Country 6K Championship in Victoria, British Columbia in a winning time of 23 minutes, 12 seconds -- Chmiel won the last junior installment of the Great Edinburgh XCountry Challenge in 2017.

Rauber, an elite steeplechaser and distance runner, navigated the 6K course extremely well, surging past athletes from Canada and Peru on the final loop. Canada's Sadie Sigfstead was second in 23:23 and Peru's Jhenifor Melchor was third in 23:46. 

In December, Rauber secured her third straight Nike Cross Nationals All-American finish, posting her third-straight top seven finish. She qualified for the Pan American U20 Championships in January during a qualifying race in California


According to Rauber's coach (and mother) Michelle Rauber, Brooke was patient through two loops before making her final move at 1,000 meters, where she pulled away along with Sigfstead. 

"She said it was the most brutal course she's ever run," Michelle Rauber said via email. 

In the men's race, East Grand Rapids (MI) senior Evan Bishop, a University of Wisconsin signee, was second overall, posting an 8K best of 27:20. He was just five seconds back from winner and fellow Michigan native Corey Gorgas, a freshman at Northern Arizona University. 

The woman's and men's field both consisted of 29 athletes and the American squad brought five athletes to the field in each race. A third Michigan athlete, 2019 Otsego (MI) High School graduate Alex Comerford, was ninth overall in 27:54.


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