NATCHITOCHES -- Stephen F. Austin barely missed a perfect score while winning the women\'s team title and Louisiana Tech ran away with the men\'s crown Monday at the NSU Invitational cross country meet hosted at Northwestern State\'s Demon Hills Golf Course.
Ashley Monteau of SFA won the 6,000-meter women\'s race over a hilly course in an impressive 21:36.75, more than two minutes faster than her second-place teammate, Katrina Nicholas (23:44.33). Amber Bagwell (24:08.51) and Kimbry Lettkeman (24:12.14) finished 3-4 for SFA before Louisiana-Monroe\'s Amanda Bartlett (24:20.77) spoiled the Ladyjacks\' bid for a perfect 15 score in a 10-team field.
Tim Marshall (26:47.78) and Kinsey Dinnel (27:09.74) came in 2-3 to pace Louisiana Tech\'s dominating win in the 11-team men\'s race. ULM\'s Maya Aden won the 8,000-meter men\'s race in a 26:43.53 time.
SFA\'s 16 points in the women\'s race topped Louisiana-Lafayette (69), ULM (103), Northwestern State (116), Grambling (148), Southern (172), Centenary (213), East Texas Baptist (238), Nicholls State (249) and Louisiana College (272).
In the men\'s competition, Louisiana Tech scored 30 while ULL and Southeastern Louisiana each had 106, but ULL took second on a better sixth time. ULM was fourth (132), followed by Centenary (135), Northwestern (154), Southern (195), Nicholls (228), SFA\'s B team (243), ETBU (269) and Louisiana College (344).
The Northwestern women were hindered by the absence of one of their top runners, Ruth Kinyanjui, who was unable to compete due to class conflicts in her nursing major.
Abby Saloman was the Lady Demons\' top finisher, taking eighth in 25:24.69 while Margeaux Fisher ran 10th in 25:59.07. The third scorer for Northwestern was Ashley Terrell (18th, 26:40.92), followed by Lesley Lambert (23rd, 27:06.35) and Laurie Campbell (56th, 34:40.55).
In the men\'s race, Northwestern\'s fastest time came from Chris Pearson, 13th in a 28:31.65 clocking. Steve Kemei of NSU ran 17th in 28:44.79. Gideon Rotich was next for the Demons, 31st in 29:48.71, while Aaron Heflin ran 38th in 31:02.04 and Phillip Hattaway was 55th in 33:17.48 to round out the scorecard for NSU.