MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Little Rock officially opened up its 2018 cross country season at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic Saturday evening at the Mike Rose Complex. The Trojan women placed eighth among the 21-team field with 221 points while the Little Rock men checked in at 13th with 359 total points.
2018 Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic Results
The highlight of the evening for Little Rock came from senior
Shanieke Watson, who placed fifth among the women's field with a time of 18:00.90 on the 5K course. Watson, who did not compete at the event in 2017, finished 36 seconds back of the leader and 13 seconds behind the first point-scorer.
Junior
Hunter Paul placed 34th overall, finishing the course in 19:14.83 and garnering 28 points for Little Rock. Sophomores
Hannah Manning and
Vianney Sanchez ran stride-for-stride with each other as the Texas duo placed 51st and 53rd, respectively, with times of 19:40.90 and 19:41.43, earning Little Rock a combined 88 points.
Sophomore
Kim Boni crossed the finish line in 23:07.08, good for 135th overall, with Senior
Akeia Joyner rounding out the Trojan runners with a time of 25:22.52, placing 159th.
On the men's side, freshman Anthony Puerta paced the Trojan squad with a time of 22:06.51 in the four-mile race, placing 66th overall and tallying 56 points for Little Rock. He finished seven seconds faster than fellow freshman Ricardo Banks II, who placed 68th overall with a time of 22:13.88.
Junior Emilio Medina was the third Trojan to finish the course, running it in 22:45.55 to place 93rd, with freshman Carter Reynolds placing 99th with a time of 22:49.99. Senior Noah Smith (23:01.39) placed 111th with sophomore Hunter Tucker (24:17.73) finishing 142nd for Little Rock.
Little Rock returns to the course next Saturday, heading north to Conway to run in the 2018 Central Arkansas Cross Country Challenge. The event will be the first of two meetings in the newly-created Governor's I-40 Showdown between the Trojans and Bears with a possible two points per gender on the line in the overall standings.
Little Rock's Women Finishers – 221 pts.
5.
Shanieke Watson (18:00.90) – 4 pts.
34.
Hunter Paul (19:14.83) – 28 pts.
51.
Hannah Manning (19:40.09) – 43 pts.
53.
Vianney Sanchez (19:41.43) – 45 pts.
135. Kimberly Boni (23:07.08) – 101 pts.
159.
Akeia Joyner (25:22.52) – 118 pts.
Little Rock Men's Finishers – 359 pts.
66. Anthony Puerta (22:06.51) – 56 pts.
68. Ricardo Banks II (22:13.88) – 60 pts.
93. Emilio Medina (22:45.55) – 77 pts.
99. Carter Reynolds (22:49.99) – 81 pts.
111. Noah Smith (23:01.39) - 85 pts.
142. Hunter Tucker (24:14.73) – 105 pts.
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