SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University women's cross country team placed fourth out of seven teams at Friday's (Oct. 11) Golden Eagle Invitational at Pollard's Field, posting a team time of 2:05:40.16 (110 points) in the 72-runner field.
"We were incredibly honored to host our second meet in program history," head coach Peter Cunningham noted. "I turned to Coach Ledbetter this morning and smiled as we saw nine teams come to compete, up from three last year.
"Since we are hosting the Sooner Athletic Championships later on Nov. 8, today was a great opportunity for our conference competition to preview the course."
Freshman Abigail Stucker paced the Blue and Gold with a 13th-place finish, crossing the tape in a personal-record time of 23:09, marking the seventh-fastest time in program history. Stucker has led the Golden Eagle effort in both races she's appeared in.
"There were massive improvements, as a team, compared to last year on this course," added Cunningham. "Abigail continues to impress."
Sophomore Paige Andrews posted 25:14 for 32nd place, while sophomore Anna Claire Orr clocked 25:31 for 33rd place over the 6,000-meter course.
JBU's scoring was completed by junior Esther Norwood who finished 36th in 25:50 and sophomore Adelyn Janssen who hit the line in 37th place at 25:54, giving the Golden Eagles a 2:45 spread among their top five runners.
Rounding out John Brown's top seven were sophomore Camryn Chaffin who placed 40th at 26:06 and freshman Edith Bell who crossed in 42nd place at 26:13.
Joining Stucker, efforts from Orr, Norwood, Janssen, Chaffin and Bell were all personal records on the 6,000-meter course.
Rogers State (Okla.) claimed the team title with 21 points (1:51:25.92). Oklahoma City finished second with 38 points, while NorthWest Arkansas Community College took third place with 102 points.
JBU returns to the course after a two-week hiatus on Saturday (Oct. 25) in Ashland, Nebraska at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic. The meet will take place at the Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.
FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Don't miss a minute of the latest action surrounding JBU Athletics by following the Golden Eagles on Twitter (@JBUathletics), Instagram (@JBUathletics) and Facebook (/JBUathletics). Catch every Golden Eagle home game and select away games on the SAC Sports Network, available online or for download on your favorite streaming device.
