SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University women's cross-country team competed in its first 6,000-meter race of the season at the Golden Eagle Invitational, held at Pollard's Field on Saturday morning (Oct. 5).
In a head-to-head competition against Rogers State, the Golden Eagles focused on team development as they continue to build momentum for the season. The Hillcats won the team title with a total time of 2:03:37. Their top runner, Tehya Lang, set a course record, finishing first in 24:04.8. John Brown posted a team time of 2:10:05, with an average of 26:01.
Senior Anna Keys continued her impressive season, leading JBU with a sixth-place finish in 24:56.3. Keys has been the top finisher for JBU in all three of her races this season. Senior Emma Brown followed with a 10th-place finish in 25:55.3, while freshman Cecily Snyder impressed in her collegiate debut, finishing 11th in 26:02.2.
"Emma Brown and Emma Morton chose to push early, running with the Division II runners from Rogers State," head coach Peter Cunningham pointed out. "While both eventually fell off the lead pack, it paid off for Emma Brown, who ran a great race. Unfortunately, Emma Morton had to pull out early due to pain, but Anna ran smart, starting controlled and working her way up the field to finish as our number one for the third straight race.
"Cecily, who just joined the team two weeks ago, was incredible in her debut, showing no signs of nerves. We believe she has a high ceiling."
Freshmen Zoe Stout and Mikey Duncan completed the scoring five for JBU, finishing 14th and 15th, respectively, with times of 26:33.4 and 26:39, helping JBU record a 1-5 split of 1:43.
The Golden Eagle Invitational also marked a significant milestone as it was the first-ever intercollegiate cross country race held on the campus of John Brown University.
"It was an exciting milestone to be part of," admitted Cunningham. "There are countless people to thank, including assistant coach Ben Ledbetter, Jon Claborn, Jorge Zamarron, and Elliot Pearson for their help in creating and setting up the course. We'll be excited to continue growing and improving this meet, and we believe it will attract high-quality programs in the near future."
The Golden Eagles will now prepare for the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic in Ashland, Neb. on Oct. 26, where the team hopes to continue building on its performance.
"The ladies still have their best racing ahead of them," Cunningham said. "We're excited to see what happens in a few weeks."
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