CLINTON, Miss. – The Millsaps men's and women's cross country programs started their seasons off strong at the Mississippi College 5K Opener along the Choctaw Trails on Friday. The Majors combined for seven personal-best five-kilometer collegiate times.
The women's team finished sixth, while the men tallied for a seventh-place performance. Both programs were the highest performing DIII teams in a meet which featured DI, DII, DIII and NAIA competition.
Junior
Patrick Elliott blazed the trails with an 18th-place finish in 16 minutes, 52.50 seconds to lead the men. He was just four seconds off his own personal best. Senior
Landry Lemoine (42nd, 17:47.27) was next and followed by freshman
Chase Spring (61st, 18:38.05).
Sophomore
Patch Heard (69th, 18:59.17) and freshman
Jack Sewell (79th, 20:02.41) rounded out the Major scoring. Not far behind was freshman
Kenny-Dean Smith (82nd, 20:24.11). Heard bettered his PR while Sewell, Smith and Spring set collegiate personal bests by competing for this first time as Majors.
On the women's side, sophomore
Sarah Strickland began the season well by besting her own 5K collegiate record by four seconds. She crossed the line in 22:05.50 in 38th place.
Senior
Angelle Martin (46th, 22:39.60), sophomore
Tyler Hamby (50th, 23:21.50), graduate
Rose Ward (51st, 23:38.00) and sophomore
Fran Edwards (55th, 25:04.90) combined for the Millsaps score. Edwards broke her PR by over a minute compared to the same race last season.
Also competing for the Majors were sophomores
MacKenzie Farris (57th, 25:27.10),
Abby Henry (62nd, 26:24.30) and
Caroline Eschete (77th, 36:12.50). Eschete, who competed for the Millsaps volleyball team in 2021, set a personal best with her first collegiate competition.
The Majors will next travel to Florence, Ala. to compete in the North Alabama Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 10, beginning at 7:45 a.m. Check out gomajors.com for meet info and recap.
| TEAM SCORES – MEN |
|
|
|
|
| Place |
Team |
Points |
| 1) |
Mississippi College |
17 |
| 2) |
William Carey |
68 |
| 3) |
Louisiana-Monroe |
109 |
| 4) |
Mobile |
120 |
| 5) |
Blue Mountain |
125 |
| 6) |
Southern University |
153 |
| 7) |
Millsaps |
177 |
| 8) |
Alcorn State |
210 |
| 9) |
Grambling |
226 |
| 10) |
MUW |
278 |
| 11) |
Tougaloo |
290 |
|
|
|
| MILLSAPS 5K FINISHERS – MEN |
|
|
|
| Place |
Runner |
Time |
| 18) |
Patrick Elliott |
16:52.50. |
| 42) |
Landry Lemoine |
17:47.27. |
| 61) |
Chase Spring |
18:38.05. |
| 69) |
Patch Heard |
18:59.17. |
| 79) |
Jack Sewell |
20:02.41. |
| 82) |
Kenny-Dean Smith |
20:24.11. |
| 99) |
Finishers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TEAM SCORES – WOMEN |
|
|
|
|
| Place |
Team |
Points |
| 1) |
Mississippi College |
20 |
| 2) |
William Carey |
51 |
| 3) |
Louisiana-Monroe |
78 |
| 4) |
Grambling |
133 |
| 5) |
Blue Mountain |
135 |
| 6) |
Millsaps |
159 |
| 7) |
Delta State |
174 |
| 8) |
Mobile |
174 |
| 9) |
MUW |
245 |
|
|
|
| Place |
Runner |
Time |
| 38) |
Sarah Strickland |
22:05.50. |
| 46) |
Angelle Martin |
22:39.60. |
| 50) |
Tyler Hamby |
23:21.50. |
| 51) |
Rose Ward |
23:38.00. |
| 55) |
Fran Edwards |
25:04.90. |
| 57) |
MacKenzie Farris |
25:27.10. |
| 62) |
Abby Henry |
26:24.30. |
| 77) |
Caroline Eschete |
36:12.50. |
| 81 |
Finishers |
|
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps men's and women's cross country programs follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
