GOLDEN SUNS FINISH 17TH OUT OF 41 TEAMS AT SATURDAY'S BROOKS MEMPHIS TWILIGHT CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC

        MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Arkansas Tech Women’s Cross Country continued its cross country season here at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Saturday as the Golden Suns finished 17th out of 41 teams at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic hosted by Christian Brothers.

Tech, who scored 519 points at the meet, finished eight points behind 16th place University of the Cumberlands and 12 points in front of 18th place Arkansas State University. In addition, Tech was the third highest finisher among the nine Gulf South Conference schools competing at the second largest cross country meet in the nation, as Harding (119 points) finished third and Alabama-Huntsville (240 points) ran sixth at the meet.

Drake University (97 points) won the women’s team title as they edged out Saint Louis University (99 points) by two points, while Harding finished third.

“Our top three runners, which are all freshmen, ran a really good race,” Tech Head Cross Country Tom Aspel said. “All three of them, along with Amber Tury and Elizabeth Thias, had personal bests and I was pleased with their performances.”

Leading the way for Tech was freshman Lauren Karnitz (DeSoto, Kan.). Karnitz finished 39th overall out of 329 runners as she ran a personal-best 19:17.97 over the 5,000-meter course. It was the third meet this season that Karnitz finished in the Top 40 overall. In addition to Karnitz, freshman Julia Huie (Clinton, Ark.) continued her solid season as she ran a personal-best 20:05.78 to finish 103rd overall.

Arkansas-Little Rock’s Whitney Kerth took home the women’s individual title as she ran the course in a time of 17:22.19, while Drake’s Nicole Braunsdorf finished second after running a time of 17:24.93.

Other finishers for Tech behind Karnitz and Huie were freshman Carrie Sowers (Dardanelle, Ark.), who ran a personal-best time of 20:26.47 to finish in 123rd place, while junior Kayla Waldrup (El Dorado, Ark.) ran a time of 21:04.67 to finish in 161st place overall and sophomore Melissa Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.) finished the course in a time of 21:13.16 to finish in 172nd place. The Tech contingent was completed by junior Brianna Greene (Harrison, Ark.), who ran a time of 21:15.69 to finish in 177th place, freshman Amber Tury (Heber Springs, Ark.), who finished in 216th place after running a personal-best 21:57.89, sophomore Elizabeth Thias (Paris, Ark.), who ran a personal-best time of 25:26.65 to finish in 291st place and senior Molly Fleming (Ward, Ark.) finished in 311th place after running a season-best 27:17.37 over the 5,000-meter course.

Tech will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 13 when it competes at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival hosted by the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Chile Pepper is one of the nation’s most prestigious cross country meets in the nation and will feature some of the top runners and top teams from around the nation.

TECH WOMEN – INDIVIDUAL

Place          Name                     Time         Team Points

          39               Lauren Karnitz       19:17.97             37

          103             Julia Huie               20:05.78             94

          123             Carrie Sowers        20:26.47            109

          161             Kayla Waldrup        21:04.67            135

          172             Melissa Pollreis       21:13.16            144

          177             Brianna Greene      21:15.69            149

          216              Amber Tury          21:57.89             180

          291             Elizabeth Thias       25:26.65              --

          311             Molly Fleming         27:17.37              --               

          Complete Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic Results  

           -- Tech Athletics --