TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It was another strong showing for Faulkner Cross Country on Friday evening as the men's and women's programs competed for the first time in the college portion of the Hoka Nights of Thunder Cross Country Fest. The men ran an 8K and the women a 5K at Apalachee Regional Park, the site of the NAIA National Championships in November.
The Eagles finished in fifth place out of nine teams in the men's race. David Robles paced the squad for the second straight meet with the fastest 8K time in program history, good for an 10th-place finish with 26:28.9 at an average pace of 5:20. Cole Charles came in second on the team and 41st in the field with a 29:47.8, the third-best 8K time in Faulkner history. Brodie Moore was three spots back of Charles with a 30:20.3 and Creed Spivey was just behind with 30:23.4, the fifth- and sixth-best Faulkner men's 8K times. Carson Roberson's 32:49.4 and Cam Waters's 33:51.4 are three spots behind Spivey's finish in the top program 8K times.
The Lady Eagles finished in eighth place out of 14 teams. Chloe Helms was her usual self, finishing in ninth place with a 19:32.8 time and a 6:17 average pace. It was the third-best 5K time in Lady Eagle history and the third best for her career, just behind her Nooga at Night performance last fall and her second-best record time two weeks ago at the Foothills Invitational, as the sophomore continues to plant her name across the record book. Avery Rogers also came just shy of her mark in Oxford for her third-best career time, finishing in 47th with a 21:46.2 time. McKenzie McAnnally was the 79th finisher at 24:49.1, while Sarah Lorimor and Martha Mendez were nine and ten spots back of her with 25:56.4 and 26:00.5 times. Three spots behind Mendez came Saryah Martin with a 26:25.4, and four behind her was Claudia Velazquez with a 27:13.5.
The men's and women's squads will be back in action next week bright and early on Saturday, Sept. 20, for the Firehawk Invitational, hosted by SSAC rival UT Southern at the Oakville Indian Mounds in Danville, Ala.
