The Arkansas Tech cross country team placed three runners in the top 20 and finished fifth as a team at the Ozarks Invitational in Clarksville on Saturday.
“There’s been improvements,” said head coach Tom Aspel. “We just need to get back and train a little harder.”
Mary Simmons paced the Golden Suns with an 11th place finish, closing out the race in 19 minutes, 55.9 seconds.
“We all had to run hard, it was a tough course,” said Simmons. “It wasn’t my best time, but I’m proud of it and I’m going to work to get faster.”
Logan Edwards also closed out with a top 20 finish, crossing the finish line in 20:28.5 for 17th place and Shannon McLaughlin finished right behind her with a time of 20:31.6.
Maria Valente just missed out on a top 20 finish by 0.8 seconds, finishing in 21st with a 20:39.8.
Afia Abdus Samad crossed the finish line in 21:32.5 to finish the race in 37th.
“I think they ran kind of well,” said head coach Tom Aspel. “I think we need to mentally toughen up a lot more. We just need to pull our socks up and run a little tougher and I think that will come the next week and the week after.”
The Golden Suns’ next meet will be at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 8 a.m.
Article courtesy of Arkansas Tech Office of Athletic Communications.
