Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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50 OCT. 31, 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED ND SPORTS Cross Country Standout Anna Rohrer Looks To Build On Early Success BY DAVID MCKINNEY Notre Dame sophomore cross country runner Anna Rohrer is stack- ing up honors this season. The Mishawaka, Ind., native was named the U.S Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's Cross Country National Athlete of the Week Oct. 3. One day later, she was tabbed as the ACC Performer of the Week. The honors came for Rohrer after a first-place finish in the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational Sept. 30. She won the event by posting a personal- best 5,000-meter time of 16:11.7. The local product said that she's in good shape, but knows the season is far from over. "I'm definitely happy with where I am at this point in the season, but I realize that I have a lot further to go," Rohrer said. "The biggest part of the season is in a month and a half, so I'm just working on staying healthy and bringing my team with me." As for the honors, Rohrer said she was humbled but is doing her best to push them aside and focus on the rest of her schedule. "It's an honor and it's really ex- citing, but again, I realize that this isn't going to matter as much when it comes time for nationals," Rohrer said. "I'm honored, but looking ahead as well." The women's team has one more event on the schedule, the Wiscon- sin Adidas Invitational Oct. 14 in Madison, Wis., before heading to the ACC Championships Oct. 28 in Cary, N.C. From there, the team will go on the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Nov. 11 in Madison, Wis., then to NCAA Championships Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Ind. Rohrer, who was named ACC Freshman of the Year in 2015, said the team is focused on the task at hand, and understands what has to be done to achieve their goals. "I think a big thing is working with my teammates, keeping each other accountable and reminding each other of our goals so we can do what we can each day to be the best we can be both together and individually," Rohrer said. Notre Dame had a national cham- pion last year in Molly Seidel, and Rohrer said she learned a lot from Seidel's success. "The biggest thing I've learned from Molly that contributes to my success is confidence and toughness in workouts and races," Rohrer said. "It used to be somewhat frightening to look at workouts that seem way over my head, but working out with Molly has helped me get to the next level, feel confident in my abilities and look forward to tackling work- outs and races." ✦ MEN'S GOLF Notre Dame finished second out of 15 teams at the Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic Oct. 10‑11. The Irish carded a 268 in the final round and finished with a 4‑under‑par 836 — both school records since 1966 — just one stroke behind UTEP. Senior Blake Barens placed first individually with a school‑ record 9‑under 201. Next up for Notre Dame was the Georgetown Intercollegiate Oct. 17‑18 at Beallsville, Md. WOMEN'S GOLF The Irish shot an 8‑over‑par 872 to place ninth out of 15 teams at the Jim West Challenge Oct. 9‑10 in The Woodlands, Texas. Senior Jordan Ferreira was the top individual performer, carding a 1‑over 217 to tie for 26th. Notre Dame returned to action at the University of Texas Betsy Rawls Long‑ horn Invitational Oct. 17‑18 in Austin, Texas. HOCKEY (2-0) The No. 9 Irish opened the season with a weekend sweep of Arizona State Oct. 7‑8. In the opener, Notre Dame netted six power‑play goals on the way to a 9‑2 victory. Game two was tied at two goals apiece in the third period, but the Irish eventually broke away for a 4‑2 win. Notre Dame traveled north to take on Minnesota Duluth Oct. 14‑15. MEN'S SOCCER (10-1-1, 3-1-1 ACC) On Oct. 8, top‑ranked Notre Dame battled No. 11 Wake Forest for two overtimes in a match that finished in a 2‑2 tie. Three days later, the Irish went on the road and blanked Michigan 2‑0. The Irish continued their four‑game road swing with contests at Virginia Oct. 14 and at Northwestern Oct. 18. WOMEN'S SOCCER (9-2-3, 4-1-1 ACC) The No. 20 Irish suffered their first conference loss of the season Oct. 9, falling 1‑0 to No. 8 Virginia. The Cavaliers decisive goal came on a penalty kick following an Irish tackle inside the box in the 60th minute. Notre Dame hosted North Carolina Oct. 14, before heading to Virginia Tech Oct. 20. VOLLEYBALL (15-3, 6-0 ACC) Notre Dame extended its winning streak to seven with 3‑0 sweeps at Syracuse Oct. 7 and at Boston College Oct. 9. It is the longest win streak for the program since the 2012 team won 11 straight, and the Irish have already recorded 10 straight‑set victories this season. The Irish looked to continue their winning ways with home matches versus North Carolina Oct. 14 and North Carolina State Oct. 16. — David McKinney Irish Roundup Rohrer posted a personal-best 5,000-meter time of 16:11.7 en route to winning the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational Sept. 30. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS