ARKANSAS TECH CROSS COUNTRY FINISHES SIXTH AT 2007
GSC CHAMPIONSHIPS

        HOOVER, Alabama – Arkansas Tech’s Women’s Cross Country team finished sixth out of 15 teams here Saturday at the 2007 Gulf South Conference Cross Country Championships held at Veteran’s Park.

The Golden Suns, who entered the meet ranked seventh on the latest NCAA Division II South Region Poll, scored 161 points to finish seven points behind fifth place North Alabama (154 points) and three points in front of seventh place Ouachita Baptist (164 points).

Harding nipped Alabama-Huntsville in the closest finish in GSC history as the Lady Bisons scored 31 points and UAH scored 32 points in Saturday’s 5,000-meter race. West Florida finished third as they scored 121 points and Southern Arkansas came in fourth with 144 points.

Leading the way for Tech was freshman Lauren Karnitz (DeSoto, Kan.), who ran the 5,000-meter course at Veteran’s Park in a time of 20:01 to finish in 14th place. With her 14th place finish, Karnitz earned Second-Team All-GSC honors and became Tech’s first All-GSC selection in cross country since Aoife Cooke earned First-Team honors in 2005 after winning the women’s individual title.

 Harding’s Janee Jones took home the women’s individual title for the second straight season as she ran a time of 18:08. Alabama-Huntsville teammates, Caitlin Heider and Erin Zellers finished second and third after running times of 18:34 and 18:39 respectively.

Other Tech finishers in addition to Karnitz were freshman Carrie Sowers (Dardanelle, Ark.), who ran the course in a time of 20:46 to finish in 26th place, while junior Brianna Greene (Harrison, Ark.) ran a time of 21:12 to finish in 34th place. Sophomore Melissa Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.) finished in 40th place after running a time of 21:22 and junior Kayla Waldrup (El Dorado, Ark.) finished in 47th place after running a championship meet course in a time of 21:41. The final two finishers for Tech were freshman Amber Tury (Heber Springs, Ark.), who finished in 65th place after running a time of 22:23 and sophomore Elizabeth Thias (Paris, Ark.) ran a time of 26:16 to finish in 92nd place.

Tech will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 3 when they compete at the NCAA Division II South Regional Meet in Huntsville, Ala.

Complete 2007 GSC Women's Cross Country Championship results

           -- Tech Athletics --