GOLDEN SUNS PERFORM WELL AT LAST WEEKEND'S
HARDING OUTDOOR TRACK INVITATIONAL

        SEARCY, Arkasnas – Arkansas Tech’s Women’s Cross Country runners performed well last weekend at Harding’s Outdoor Track and Field Invitational held here at First Security Stadium.

Tech, who runs cross country during the fall season, runs in several outdoor track meets during the spring to keep in shape and also train for next cross country season.

“We usually go and try and compete in two or three outdoor tracks meets in the region during the spring,” Tech Cross Country Coach Tom Aspel said. “It allows our kids to continue to train, improve and compete on a competitive basis during the offseason.”

At the Harding Meet, Tech finished third out of four teams as they scored 88 points. Harding, the host team, won the meet with 169 points, while Arkansas-Little Rock scored 107 points to finish in second place and Hendrix scored 84 points to finish fourth.

Tech scored a majority of its points in both the 800 and 1,500-meter runs as the Golden Suns finished third, fifth, sixth and eighth in the 800-meter run and they finished second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and 10th in the 1,500-meter run. In addition, Tech finished third in the 4-x-400-meter relay with a time of 4:31.05.

In the 800-meter run, freshman Lauren Karnitz (DeSoto, Kan.), who was named a Second-Team All-GSC performer last fall in cross country, ran a time of 2:32.12 to finish in third place and she ran a time of 5:02.18 to finish second in the 1,500-meter run. Junior Kayla Waldrup (El Dorado, Ark.) ran a time of 5:11.20 to finish in the third in the 1,500-meter run and also added a third place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:18.62.

Other strong performances were turned in by junior Brianna Greene (Harrison, Ark.), who finished fifth in both the 800-meter (2:37.78) and 1,500-meter runs (5:24.79), sophomore Melissa Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.), who finished fourth in the 1,500-meter (5:24.79) and sixth in the 800-meter runs (2:40.55), freshman Ciara Cluck (Cedarville, Ark.) finished second in the long jump (4.38 meters), fourth in the high jump (1.37 meters) and fifth in the 200-meter dash (30.74) and junior Molly Fleming (Ward, Ark.) finished second in the pole vault (18.35 meters) and sixth in the javelin (21.36 meters).

Aspel said that his cross country runners will compete in two more meets this spring as they will next be in action at the John McDonnell Invitational hosted by the University of Arkansas on April 18-19 in Fayetteville and will conclude its track schedule by competing at the Bob Laptad/Bill Williams Invitational hosted by Missouri Southern University on April 25 in Joplin, Mo.

Complete 2008 Harding Invitational results

           -- Tech Athletics --