From RSU Sports Information
JOPLIN, Mo. – Despite a muddy course and consistent rain the Rogers State Hillcat cross country team found the silver lining in the clouds overhead the 24th Annual Southern Stampede hosted by Missouri Southern State University Saturday.
Led by defending Sooner Athletic Conference champion Brenda Felipe the Hillcat women claimed second in the 23 team field. The RSU men finished 11th out of the 21 team field with an average time of 27:48.26.
Felipe led the Cats finishing the 5K race with a time of 18:50.76 to finish fourth individually. Freshman Haley Taylor built upon last week’s team leading performance finishing 23rd Staurday in 19:24.15.
Christi Dougherty completed the wet 5K course in 19:31.43 for a 34th place finish while teammate Maria Apolinar sloshed through ankle high water to finish 39th in 19:36.01. Freshman Coree Lenhart finished in 19:59.16 to place 54th and Natalie Iwamoto was the 141st runner to cross the finish line coming in at the 22:21.28 mark. Demi Mullin finished in 23:18.64 and Breana Harrsion crossed at 24:45.11 to round out the Hillcat runners.
Running unattached were Vania Williams and Kim Kochendorfer. Williams completed the course in 20:37.96 while Kochendorfer wasn’t far behind with a time of 20:55.48.
NCAA Division II Eastern New Mexico University claimed the team title with an average of 19:08.95 while Lindenwood senior Tanya Chibanda topped the field finishing in 18:41.70.
Junior Brandon Payne led the RSU men finishing in 27:25.50 in the 8K course for 47th place. Marcus Trevino placed 63rd after posting a time of 27:43:79 while teammate Oscar Reyes crossed the finish line in 27:49.40 in 66th.
A pair of freshman finished neck in neck for the Cats as Logan Blackburn and Garrett Dyson finished 79th and 80th with times of 28:07.87 and 28:08.67 respectively. DJ Polson was the 99th runner to cross the finish line as he posted a time of 28:28.57.
Tanner Brantley finished 126th in 29:06.88 while Ryan Hayes crossed in 29:12.31 in 130th. Jarrett Sanders, running unattached, finished 109th with a time of 28:38.20.
Ryan Meye of William Woods University finished in 25:14.63 for first place as Southwestern College claimed the team championship with an average time of 25:58.28.
Rogers State returns to competition in two weeks in Stillwater, Okla. at the Cowboy Jamboree hosted by Oklahoma State University. The women will shotgun at 8 a.m. while the men will get started at 8:35 a.m.
For more information on Hillcat Cross Country visit www.rsuhillcats.com
Steven Braun is the Sports Information Director at Rogers State University.