PHOTO | @goldensunxctf
The Arkansas Tech cross country team has competed in two meets this season and has finished strong in both.
The Golden Suns kicked off their season with their Green vs. Gold Duel. Still, their first competition was at the Memphis Twilight Classic on Sept. 3, where they finished 3rd out of 15 and dominated against huge competition, including Memphis, Ole Miss, and Harding.
First to cross the finish line was Morganne Browning, junior from Fayetteville, with a time of 19:04. Mary Beth Bailey, a sophomore from Jonesboro, finished fifth for the Golden Suns with a time of 19:29, creating only a 25-second gap between Tech’s first and last placing runner. This shows how strong the Golden Sun’s pack running is.
The Golden Suns maintained a tight pack at the Harding Invitational on Sept. 16, with a gap of 39 seconds. Marcie Cudworth, a sophomore from Mountain Home, led the way for not only Tech but also earned an overall first-place finish with a time of 18.33. Cudworth and two other Golden Suns set a new personal record, and the Golden Suns earned first place with a near-perfect score.
The Golden Sun’s abundance of personal records so early in the season, coupled with their ability to maintain a strong pack, is impressive and shows how much potential they have moving forward.
The Golden Suns have two more meets before the GAC Championship on Nov. 5 at Shawnee, Oklahoma and their next meet is at the Notre Dame Invitational on Sept. 30.
