GOLDEN SUNS FINISH FOURTH OUT OF SIX TEAMS IN ITS
THIRD-ANNUAL TWILIGHT RUN MEET

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Women’s Cross Country continued its 2009 season here Friday evening by finishing fourth out of six teams at its third-annual Tech Twilight Run held on the ground surrounding Tucker Coliseum on the Tech campus.

Tech, who has finished fifth and second respectively in the previous two Twilight Meets, had two of its runners finish in the five, including freshman Bailee Miller (Dover, Ark.) running a school-record 2-mile time of 11:22 to finish in first place. It was her second straight meet she has won this season as Miller was the top finisher among runners affiliated with a team at last weekend’s Brooks Memphis Twilight Run. Miller finished third overall with a time of 18:23, which was the fourth fastest 5,000-meter time in school history.

Miller’s time bettered the old school record of 12:00 set by former Golden Sun Jennifer Edwards in 2003.

Tech finished Friday’s meet scoring 61 points to finish two points behind third-place Arkansas State (59 points). Arkansas-Little Rock took home the women’s team title for the third consecutive year as the Lady Trojans scored 41 points as they had four of its five runners finish in the Top 10, while Hendrix College scored 52 points to finish in second place. The final two finishers were Central Arkansas (114 points) in fifth place and University of the Ozarks (138 points) finished in sixth place.

“I was pleased to have two of our runners finish in the Top 5, but I was disappointed our other three runners didn’t perform like I expected them too,” Golden Suns Head Coach Tom Aspel said.

In addition to featuring six women’s teams, the meet also had six men’s teams. The men’s teams ran four miles, instead of two miles for the women.

Along with Miller, senior Melissa Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.) ran a time of 11:40 to finish in fourth place. Pollreis’ time is the second-fastest 2-mile time in school history. Junior Michelle Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.) ran a time of 12:34 to finish in 17th place, while sophomore Jenna Siebenmorgen (Fort Smith, Ark.) ran a time of 12:50 to finish in 19th place. Other finishers for Tech were junior Lauren Karnitz (DeSoto, Kan.), who ran a time of 13:13 to finish in 25th place overall and junior Stormi Richardson (Lumberton, Texas) ran a time of 13:15 to finish in 26th place overall.

Hendrix’s Laura Palmer ran the 2-mile course in a time of 11:28 to finish in second place, while UALR’s Jordan Radke ran 11:33 to finish in third place.

The men’s race was also UALR for the third consecutive season as the Trojans scored 18 points as its Top 5 runners all finished in the Top 6. Arkansas State (66 points) finished second and Central Arkansas (69 points) came in third place. Hendrix (98 points) was fourth, while Henderson State (101 points) and University of the Ozarks (113 points) finished fifth and sixth respectively.

UALR’s Aaron Batey was the top men’s finisher as he ran a time of 19:48, while his teammates, Johnny Purvis ran a time of 19:49 to finish in second place.

Tech will return to action next Saturday, Sept. 19, when they travel to Joplin, Mo., to compete in the Missouri Southern Stampede.

2009 Tech Twilight Results

           -- Tech Athletics --