GOLDEN SUNS FINISH IN 26TH PLACE AT 21ST-ANNUAL CHILE PEPPER XC FESTIVAL; BAILEE MILLER FINISHES IN 45TH PLACE OVERALL

        FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Women’s Cross Country continued its season here Saturday at its finished 26th overall and second among non-NCAA Division I schools at the 21st-Annual Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival hosted by the University of the Arkansas and held at UA’s Agri Park Cross Country Course.

Tech, who is ranked third in the latest USTFCCCA Division II South Region rankings, scored 648 points to finish in 26th place overall and second among non-Division I schools as Rend Lake Community College finished the 6,000-meter race in 22nd place. Tech finished seven points behind 25th place Arkansas State (641) and 17 points in front of 27th place LSU (665).

“This meet helped us to prepare to run at next weekend’s GSC Meet,” Golden Suns Head Coach Tom Aspel said. “I pleased with the way we ran against some top-flight competition.”

Texas Tech University won the meet as the Red Raiders had four of the Top 6 finishers to score 35 points, while BYU scored 77 points to finish second and Arkansas scored 87 points to finish third overall.

While Tech finished in 26th place, Bailee Miller (Dover, Ark.) continued her stellar freshman campaign as she ran the 6,000-meter rain-soaked course in a time of 22:15 to finish in 45th place overall. It was the highest a Golden Sun individual finished at the Chile Pepper since former All-American Aoife Cooke ran 21:41 to finish in 34th place overall at the 2005 Chile Pepper X-C Festival. Miller’s 22:15 is the sixth-fastest 6K time in school history.

Miller was the second non-Division I runner to finish the race as Trinity’s Caitlin Masse ran a time of 22:01 to finish in 35th place overall. Texas Tech’s Lillian Badaru ran the course in a time of 20:31 to take home first place honors, while BYU’s Cecely Law ran a time of 20:32 to finish in second place.

In addition to Miller, senior Melissa Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.) ran a time of 22:59 to finish in 72nd place overall, while junior Lauren Karnitz (DeSoto, Kan.) ran a time of 24:49 to finish in 169th place overall and junior Michelle Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.) ran the 6K course in a time of 25:01 to finish in 205th place overall. Other finishers were Tech were sophomore Jenna Siebenmorgen (Fort Smith, Ark.), who ran a time of 26:04 to finish in 227th place and junior Stormi Richardson (Lumberton, Texas) ran a time of 26:06 to finish in 228th place.

Tech will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 24, when the Golden Suns compete at the Gulf South Conference Championship held at Veteran’s Park in Hoover, Ala.

 TECH WOMEN – INDIVIDUAL

Place          Name                        Time      Team Points

          45               Bailee Miller                22:15              40

          84               Melissa Pollreis           22:59               72

          199             Lauren Karnitz            24:49             169

          205             Michelle Pollreis          25:01             175

          227             Jenna Siebenmorgen  26:04             192

          228             Stormi Richardson      26:06             193                

             Complete 2009 Chile Pepper X-C Festival results  

           -- Tech Athletics --