CLINTON, Miss. – The Millsaps men's and women's cross country programs competed at the Watson Collegiate Classic on the Choctaw Trails Clinton with the mindset to break records. The Majors did so by setting nine personal-best times and added two season bests on Friday.
The women's squad finished 16th against 23 teams, ranging from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and the NJCAA. All five Millsaps scorers and freshman
Laken Day recorded all-time bests.
Senior
Sarah Strickland made her name known by finishing 34th out of 178 other runners. The Spanish Fort, Ala., local covered six kilometers in 24 minutes, 31.60 seconds.
Her classmate and counterpart Fran Edwards finished 47th. She also set her career best in 24:45.7.
Freshman Claudia Dempsey once again ran well, claiming 105th place with a time of 26:38.66 minutes. Only three spots behind her was senior Tyler Hamby, who ran 26:46.66, beating out several highly competitive NCAA Division II runners.
Classmates MacKenzie Farris (128th; 27:53.76) and Abby Henry (140th; 29:34.65) finished strong to complete the Majors' scorebook. Sophomore Elle Powers (151th; 31:35.64) and freshman Laken Day (158th; 33:54.69) also performed well for Millsaps. Henry and Powers' times were season bests as well.
The men's squad also showed promise during the classic. Senior from Ocean Springs, Miss., Patch Heard finished 181st out of 221 finishers. He totaled an 8K time of 29 minutes, 58.20 seconds.
His teammate and freshman Phillip Antis finished five spots back of him at 186th, running in 30:33.20.
Freshman Aidan Brice wrapped up the Watson Collegiate Classic as the 213th runner for the Majors, running in 35:36.80.
The Majors will return and be ready to run in the 2024 SAA Cross Country Championships, hosted by Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. on November 2.
| TEAM SCORES - WOMEN |
|
|
|
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| PLACE |
TEAM |
POINTS |
| 1) |
McMurry |
77 |
| 2) |
Rhodes |
97 |
| 3) |
Union (Tenn.) |
98 |
| 4) |
Louisiana Tech |
166 |
| 5) |
TAMU-Commerce |
167 |
| 6) |
Mississippi College |
182 |
| 7) |
Mobile |
218 |
| 8) |
UT-Dallas |
227 |
| 9) |
ETBU |
230 |
| 10) |
Blue Mountain |
241 |
| 11) |
UMHB |
253 |
| 12) |
SE Louisiana |
282 |
| 13) |
UA Rich Mountain |
343 |
| 14) |
LeTourneau |
346 |
| 15) |
Blinn College |
385 |
| 16) |
Millsaps College |
402 |
| 17) |
Loyola-New Orleans |
409 |
| 18) |
Jacksonville College |
430 |
| 19) |
Northwestern State |
510 |
| 20) |
Huntingdon |
563 |
| 21) |
Belhaven |
597 |
| 22) |
Centenary (La.) |
705 |
| 23) |
Grambling State |
710 |
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| MILLSAPS 6K FINISHERS - WOMEN |
|
|
|
|
| PLACE |
STUDENT-ATHLETE |
TIME |
| 28) |
Sarah Strickland |
24:31.60 (PR) |
| 47) |
Fran Edwards |
24:45.71 (PR) |
| 105) |
Claudia Dempsey |
26:35.85 (PR) |
| 108) |
Tyler Hamby |
26:46.66 (PR) |
| 128) |
MacKenzie Farris |
27:53.76 (PR) |
| 140) |
Abby Henry |
29:34.65 (SB) |
| 151) |
Elle Powers |
31:35.64 (SB) |
| 158) |
Laken Day |
33:54.69 (PR) |
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| No Millsaps Men's Team Score |
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| MILLSAPS 8K FINISHERS - MEN |
|
|
|
|
| PLACE |
STUDENT-ATHLETE |
TIME |
| 181) |
Patch Heard |
29:58.20 (PR) |
| 186) |
Phillip Antis |
30:33.20 (PR) |
| 213) |
Aidan Brice |
35:36.80 (PR) |
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To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps men's and women's cross country programs follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
