LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Trojans travel to Conway on Saturday to take on Central Arkansas in the Governor's I-40 Showdown presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The men are looking to defend their 2024 title, while the women are aiming to improve on their second-place finish from last year.
In 2024, Little Rock's men captured their first team title at the UCA Bear Invitational, a milestone in program history. Graduate
Jordan Smith, last year's individual runner-up and an OVC Runner to Watch, is back for his second season with the Trojans. On the women's side, sophomore
Aaliyah Joshua, who finished second a year ago, is setting her sights on the top spot this season.
Following the loss of several graduates, the Trojans have a revamped squad that is looking to prove itself and be very competitive. Juniors
Kennedie Rhein and
Shane Fisher, along with sophomore
Owen Church, will look to set the tone for this squad. Freshman
Eva Tice is also looking to make an impact in her first year as she was named an OVC Runner to Watch.
Head coach
Jordyn Naylon sees a lot of potential in this squad and is excited for the first meet.
"I'm excited for our first meet this weekend being close to home so people can come out and support the team. The expectation for this meet is to follow the race plan and practice being calm in race situations. We want to go in to do our job, finish up with a workout and head home just like any other day and have a good time doing it. It's the first time racing in our uniform for our first years so that is something we are excited to celebrate with them as well. The team has done a good job the last few weeks and I'm looking forward to seeing how they compete," Naylon said.
The UCA Bear Invitational will be held at Beaver Fork Lake, 20 Kinley Drive, in Conway. The men and women will both be running a 5K, with the women starting at 8:30 a.m. and the men at 9:10 a.m.
For the latest information on Little Rock Cross Country/Track and Field, check out LRTrojans.com. You can also follow the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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