Pair of Freshmen Lead Little Rock at UCA Open

CONWAY, Ark. – A new year, new protocols and new faces led Little Rock Saturday as the Trojans opened the uncommon 2020 cross country season at the Central Arkansas Open. Freshman Spencer Cardinal led the Trojan men and rookie Mia Patria led the women to a pair of third-place team finishes.

Cardinal opened his collegiate career by posting a 5K time of 16:04.8 to finish eighth with a dramatic finish. Cardinal, sprinting down the home stretch alongside Arkansas State's Royce Fisher, was edged by a half-second at the finish line as the pair vied for seventh.
 
Meanwhile on the women's side, Patria ran a collegiate-opening 19:43.1 to place 12^th as amended results were released two hours after the race.
 
Social distancing restrictions were in place as teams had to wear face masks until they were in the starting box and the starter was ready. Starting boxes were spaced out with at least one empty box between teams.
 
Also for Little Rock in the women's race, Vianney Sanchez followed Patria with a time of 20:18.6 to finish 18^th while Kimberley Boni's personal record time of 20:26.7 placed her 20^th.
 
Back on the men's side, Carter Reynolds posted a 14^th-place finish with a time of 16:19.8 while Aaron Soltmann finished 17^th with a time of 16:37.8.
 
Despite the impressive performances by the young runners, Little Rock dropped points in the Governor's I-40 Showdown presented by Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield as Central Arkansas won the men's team race while finishing second on the women's side. Arkansas State won the women's race while placing second in the men.
 
For the latest information on Little Rock Cross Country, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on Facebook and Twitter.
 
#LittleRocksTeam