Cross Country Competes at MSSU Stampede in Loaded Field
SNU Athletics
JOPLIN, Mo. - The Missouri Southern State University Stampede is one of the premier collegiate cross country races in the south central United States annually. The Southern Nazarene University men's and women's cross country teams headed to Joplin, Missouri over the weekend to take part in the event, and the field was as loaded as ever.
The women's race featured 29 teams who posted a team score, and the men's event had 27 scoring squads, with nearly 300 runners in each race. Sabbatha Taylor posted a top-50 finish for SNU on the women's side of things, and for the men, Zach McAlpin crossed the line first.
Taylor, running in only her second collegiate race, posted a time of 18:49.6 in the 5K event, finishing just more than a minute off the pace of the race winner. She was one of seven SNU women to complete the race, and the Crimson Storm finished the event in 25th place as a team with a score of 656. Emma Green ran the event in 20:27.6, Madalyn Harper crossed the line in a time of 20:37.5, Rachel Hurtz posted a time of 21:19.6, Caroline Cavanaugh finished in 21:44.7, Lauryn Downs completed the course in 23:23.2, and Madi Nortume posted a time of 23:48.1.
McAlpin led the SNU men's contingent, which due to a trio of retirements by SNU runners during the race did not post a team score. McAlpin ran the 8K event in a time of 28:25.2, Christian Escritt posted a time of 30:20.1, and Taylor Hawkins finished in 30:47.5.
SNU will be back in action on Saturday, October 5 at 8 a.m. at the University of Arkansas Chili Pepper Festival - another prestigious event which figures to have another field loaded with talent.Â
