CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Stephanie Martinez (JR/Horizon City, Texas) posted a 96th place finish and Tabetha Deines (JR/Salina, Kan.) finished 202nd at the NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championships held on Friday at Seminole Valley Cross Country Course.
Martinez covered the 5K course in 19:08.40, just ahead of Michaela Phipps from Wayland Baptist.
Deines finished with a time of 20:02.39 ahead of Columbia's Grace Brinkman.
There were a total of 326 runners Friday's race that was run in cool, and wet conditions.
St. Francis (Ill.) placed three runners in the top 20 en route to its first national title Friday at the 2020 NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championships at Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Fighting Saints accumulated 111 total points for the 5K race.
For the second year in a row, Huntington had the women's individual champion. Emma Wilson cruised to the individual crown a time of 17:02.86. Sierra Poppell of Kentucky Christian (17:38.67) was runner-up after a fourth-place finish in 2019. Becca Richtman of Montana Tech (17:42.02) was third, followed by Ariana Anderson of Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) (17:42.09), who placed sixth last year. Allika Pearson of John Brown (Ark.) (17:46.54) rounded out the top five individual finishers.
In the team standings, College of Idaho counted three all-Americans while placing second with 146 points. They were followed by Taylor (Ind.) (217 pts.), Embry-Riddle (222), and Indiana Wesleyan (235).
The Top 40 finishers were named 2020 NAIA Women's Cross Country All-Americans.
--kwucoyotes.com--