Arkansas Tech University posted its best finish in the Great American Conference Cross Country Championships in six years by finishing fourth among a field of 12 teams in Magnolia on Saturday morning.
The Golden Suns accumulated a team score of 126 under the direction of head coach Tom Aspel.
Oklahoma Baptist University (1st, 20), East Central University (2nd, 48) and Harding University (3rd, 66) were the only teams to finish in front of Arkansas Tech.
Southern Arkansas University (5th, 152), Southeastern Oklahoma State University (T-6th, 186), Southern Nazarene University (T-6th, 186), Southwestern Oklahoma State University (8th, 195), Northwestern Oklahoma State University (9th, 254), Henderson State University (10th, 307), Ouachita Baptist University (11th, 309) and the University of Arkansas-Monticello (12th, 364) rounded out the field.
It was the Golden Suns’ highest finish in the GAC Championships team standings since they took third place in the inaugural Great American Conference meet in 2011.
Aubre Gilreath was Tech’s top individual finisher on Saturday. She completed the 5-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 57.3 seconds to finish 16th among 99 competitors.
Halle Gilreath (25th, 20:25.6), Cami Hedstrom (26th, 20:27.4), Logan Edwards (32nd, 20:50.0), Lauryn Doublet (33rd, 20:50.5), Mallory Morris (36th, 20:57.6), Megan Bradley (75th, 23:00.2) and Adrianna Simmons (93rd, 25:55.4) also competed in the GAC Championships for the Golden Suns.
Arkansas Tech will run in the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships in Kearney, Neb., on Saturday, Nov. 4.
