UCA’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams started the year off strong with a first-place win, securing full points versus Little Rock at the Sept. 2 XC Invitational at Beaverfork Lake — part of the Governor’s I-40 showdown.
The meet held both men’s and women’s 5Ks where Bears sprinted past the competition.
The morning started off strong with the women’s 5K where freshman Madeline Hill placed first overall with a new personal record time of 16:38.56.
UCA also took second place with senior Sara Steimel’s personal record of 16:50.17, close behind Hill.
Steimel said, “When I finished, I turned around and saw Madeline was ahead of me and then as some of our other girls started to pass the finish line. That’s when I knew our split was super good.”
With this being Steimel’s last year at UCA, she said she feels proud to be working alongside her teammates this last go around.
“This is my last season, so I’m very excited to see where we go. I am already very impressed with these girls, and today is just another reason to feel optimistic about what this season will bring,” Steimel said.
Men’s cross-country followed soon after with the UCA team continuing their winning streak.
UCA freshman Pete Johnson placed first in the race with another new personal record of 14:03.85 and carried a strong lead throughout the race.
The team only continued to show out with Jack Dingman placing third with a time of 14:15.45 and Gavin Frick coming in fourth with a time of 14:17.03.
Graduate student Thomas Cain continued UCA’s streak, staying with the lead and coming in fifth with a finish time of 14:19.25.
Cain said, “I think that this race was a great starting point for our team. We started off strong with a good steppingstone which will only continue the team’s good work.”
Cain also attributed the team’s success to their bond not only as teammates but also as close friends.
“Our brotherhood is the key to how we run. We have to look out for each other, not only on the track but also in our regular lives.
“It’s so important to have that brotherhood with each other so we can be fully confident in each other and ourselves when it comes time to race,” Cain said.
Coach Josey Weaver had nothing but good things to say about both teams after the races.
“This is a very good start to our season. I tell our men and women not to read too much into it yet because we have a lot to do to get to October, but starting off with a win and being able to knock off Little Rock at home is definitely something to be proud of,” Weaver said.
UCA Cross Country will continue their season in two weeks in Nashville, Tennessee, for their conference preview.