MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Arkansas Tech women's cross country team opens the 2022 season with an elite-level performance taking third-place overall against major NCAA Division I level competition at the City Auto Memphis Twilight Classic on Saturday night. The Golden Suns beat out major Division I programs like Memphis and Mississippi State on their way to the top-three finish. The team was also the highest placing among the Great American Conference programs participating, with Harding having the next highest team finish three places behind in sixth.
 

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FULL RESULTS

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Looking at the individual finishes, junior Morganne Browning crossed the finish line first for the Golden Suns with a 19:04.32 time and taking the 13th overall spot in the race. Finishing right behind Browning at 14th overall was freshman Libby Booth who finished with a 19:08.76 time. 

The third member of the Golden Suns to make their way across the finish line was Ashlynn Mays clocking in at a 19:13.53 overall time and finishing at the 16th spot overall. Marcie Cudworth directly followed Mays coming in at 17th overall and crossed the finish line with a 19:18.29 total time. Rounding out the list of five scorers for the Golden Suns was Mary Beth Bailey who produced a 19:29.31 total time and placed 22nd overall in the race.

All five of the individual scorers for the Golden Suns finished within the top-25. Four of the five placed well within the top-20 as Tech left a distinct and defining mark of their own making with a strong season opener.

Head coach Brock Hime is happy with the early results his team is already producing.

"Super happy with how we competed. Finishing 3rd in that field says a lot about where we are at this early. Looking within the GAC, to take down Harding in the fashion we did is what we expected to happen but to actually handle business is another thing. Fight On!"

With their season opener in Memphis now wrapped up, the Golden Suns stay focused for their next outing on Friday, September 16 in Searcy, Ark. where they will compete in the Harding Invitational and look to produce another set of strong results against GAC competition.