STAFF REPORTS
Conway – The University of Central Arkansas men’s and women’s cross country teams opened the 2020 campaign at Beaverfork Lake Park for the 2020 UCA XC Challenge on Saturday.
The men were led by Alex Hanson with a second-place finish, while Casey Gore placed fifth to lead the women.
The men won the race with a team score of 27, followed by Arkansas State (42), Little Rock (63), and Philander Smith (105).
On the women’s side, Arkansas State won with a group effort of 19, followed by UCA (37), Little Rock (80), and Philander Smith (120).
Hanson recorded a career-best time of 15:30.5 and placed second. Max Nores produced a personal-best effort of 15:33.3 and came in third. With the best time of his career, Simon Schneider finished sixth with a 15:57.0. Parker Jackson came in ninth with a career-best run of 16:12.4. Hunter Henderson finished just outside the top-10 in 11th with a personal-best mark of 16:15.0. TJ Robinson collected a career-best effort of 16:16.0 and finished in 12th. Thomas Cain produced a run of 16:18.5 and came in 13th. Jared Touart (16:30.9) and Jared Hamilton (16:34.9) came in 15th and 16th, respectively with the best marks in their careers. Brayden Ortiz placed 18th with a career-best run of 16:39.1. Tate Whaley finished right behind in 19th with a personal-best time of 16:39.7. Dagen Ward and Braeden Hindley placed 20th and 21st, respectively, as they both posted career-best marks of 16:40.2. With the best time of his career, Lenin Blanco came in 26th with a run of 17:13.9. Sam Fischer finished 28th with a personal-best effort of 17:26.6. James Kees added another career-best time for the Bears with his 30th-place mark of 17:27.9. Connor Mayfield placed 33rd with a personal-best effort of 18:36.4.
Gore led the women with a fifth-place finish with a career-best time of 19:03.1. Kennedy Timmerman produced a personal-best mark of 19:17.0 and came in eighth. Marie Møller Schmidt clocked a career-best time of 19:33.8 and came in 10th. Anna Jeffcoat posted an 11th-place run of 19:39.6 and set a career best in the process. Bekah Bostian notched a 13th-place mark of 19:46.4. Anna Bommes finished right behind in 14th with a personal-best effort of 19:49.2. With a run of 20:03.5, Emily Newberry placed 15th. Sarah Grace Meek produced a 22nd-place effort of 20:36.9. Sara Holman recorded a career-best mark of 21:04.8 and came in 26th.
Central Arkansas returns to competition for the OSU Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Saturday, October 3.
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