MONROE, La.---- The ULM cross country women's team finished sixth and the men's team finished in eighth place in the Johnny Carino's Sun Belt Conference championship on Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Rebsamen Golf Course in Little Rock, Ark.
The Warhawk women's team totaled a score of 135 points, finishing one point behind fifth place Middle Tennessee. Western Kentucky won the women's championship, totaling a score of 39 points. The Warhawk men's team totaled a score of 188 points. South Alabama won the men's championship with a score of 28 points.
Senior Maya Aden continued his outstanding year by finishing third in the men's 8-kilometer race with a time of 24:14.40, which earns him all-conference honors. That gives him a personal record for the Rebsamen course by over a minute. He ran an 8K in 25:41.08 at the same course on September 23 at the UALR Open. Aden's 2006 resume also includes three wins, two Sun Belt Conference Runner of the Week awards, and running the fastest 10K time in the conference this season.
As for Aden's teammates, senior Matt Brophy finished 12th with a time of 25:40.50, senior Nathan Hall finished 51st (28:23.1), freshman Seth Hall finished 56th (28:50.12), and sophomore Mychal Word finished 66th (31:36.69). Like Aden, Brophy, the other four Warhawks all significantly improved their time from the meet at Rebsamen in September. South Alabama won the men's championship with 28 points.
For the women, junior Amy Harris led the way by finishing tenth to earn all-conference honors. Harris ran the women's 5K in 18:28.85, a personal record for the course and improving her time at the UALR Open by 1:12. Fellow juniors Amanda Bartlett (18:31.15) and Jessica Baldino (18:.41.76) finished 12th and 13th respectively, each setting a personal record for the course. Junior Chardonnay Denman (20:34.49) finished 57th and also set a personal record on the course. Sophomores Rachel Spady (20:00.24) and Rachel Hobson (23:10.04) finished 43rd and 72nd respectively. Freshman Britnie Markham (23:21.85) finished 74th. Western Kentucky won the women's championship.
"I am pleased with our performance today," said cross country coach Toby Reep. "We are improving with every meet and I'm proud of how hard we ran."
Up next for the Warhawks, the NCAA South Regional Championship meet on Nov. 11 in Waco, Texas.