ASHLAND, Neb. -- The John Brown University women's cross country team placed 19th out of 27 teams at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic, posting the second-fastest team time ever (2:02:44) at Mahoney State Park on Saturday morning (Oct. 25).
Freshman Abigail Stucker paced the Blue and Gold in the 275-runner field with a 20th-place finish in 22:33 over the 6,000-meter course, recording the fourth-fastest time in program history. Sophomore Paige Andrews crossed the line in 113th place at 24:37, while sophomore Anna Claire Orr posted 24:59 for 133rd place.
JBU's scoring was completed by freshman Edith Bell who finished 144th in 25:07 and sophomore Adelyn Janssen who clocked 25:26 for 160th place, giving the Golden Eagles a 2:53 spread among their top five runners. Stucker, Andrews, Orr, Bell and Janssen each set personal records.
Rounding out John Brown's top seven were junior Esther Norwood who placed 166th at 25:36, also setting a personal record, and sophomore Tori Calder who hit the tape in 196th place at 26:18.
"The coaching staff has been telling both teams all season what we know they're capable of," assistant coach Ben Ledbetter said of the team's mental approach and execution. "When rough races happen, it can be hard for athletes to believe us, but both groups raced right where we've known they could be.
"Today was a day of belief, and we could see it on their faces. That look has been missing from some of our other races, but today they were hungry, attacking, and strong. The future is bright for these men and women."
College of Idaho claimed the team title with 42 points and a team time of 1:50:20.90. Grace Steinmetz of Bellevue (Neb.) won the individual title in 20:48. St. Mary (Kan.) finished second with 75 points, while Kansas Wesleyan took third place with 100 points.
"Many of our women have been managing injuries or battling through pain, so it's been incredible to see the depth of our squad on display," noted head coach Peter Cunningham of the team's resilience. "Our women's team is deeper than ever, and they're dropping times when it matters most. We're so proud of them this weekend."
John Brown will now transition to playing host for the first time in program history as the Golden Eagles welcome the league to Pollard's Field for the Sooner Athletic Conference Championships, scheduled for the morning of Nov. 8 in Siloam Springs.
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