COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Central Arkansas cross country teams competed in the Arturo Barrios Invitational Friday morning, and both programs had some good stuff as the Bears competed for the final time before the ASUN Championships. The highlight of the day was
Pete Johnson, who broke the program record in the 8k. The women finished 17
th out of 41 teams, while the men finished 24
th of 38.
Johnson, who placed 42
nd, finished the 8 kilometer race in 23:39.7, setting a new record by six seconds. He also beat his own personal-best by more than 15 seconds, a PR he set last time at Mizzou's course.
Jack Dingman ran a 24:13.7, setting his new PR by nearly 30 seconds.
Gavin Frick posted a 24:45.2, reaching a sub-25 minute mark for the first time in competition.
Mason Bickle ran a 24:48.0, also dropping below the 25-minute mark.
Carlos Hernandez finished the 8k in 24:59.4, obliterating his PR by nearly a minute.
Samuel Morales turned in a 25:22.3, followed by
Trae Baker's 25:38.
Tim Haughton crossed the finish line at 25:43.0, and
Bresner Austin finished with a 26:41.2.
Madeline Hill led the women's team, placing 71
st with a 6k time of 20:42.8.
Ali Nachtigal came in at 20:55.3, good for 92
nd.
Kayleigh Wagnon crossed the finish line with a time of 21:14.4, followed by
Sequoya Prentice at 21:20.5.
Felisa Saheib ran a 21:52.1, improving from last time on the course by nearly 40 seconds.
Anna Bommes finished in 22:08.3,
Brooklyn Nicholson ended with a 22:45.5, and
Emma Selph crossed at 22:54.5. Every single Bear had a better time on Friday than at Mizzou, showing marked improvement across the lineup.
From head coach
Josey Weaver:
"What a day for the Bears! We showed up on both sides and raced to our potential as a team. We beat a lot of regionally ranked teams and we have a lot of confidence rolling into the ASUN Championships. Very proud of
Pete Johnson for breaking our school record and running up front for us. Proud of this team for their progression throughout the season. We are learning to run for one another."
The Bears now look ahead to the ASUN Championships, taking place on November 1
st in DeLand, Florida.
