CLINTON, Miss. — Southern Arkansas' Men and Women's Cross Country teams fired off their 2024-2025 season at the Mississippi College Season Opener.
The Mulerider Men finished in 4th-place out of 16 competing teams and all the runners finished within the top-80. Junior Wesley Maxwell and freshman Lyndon Orr crossed the finish line seemingly at the same time of 16:25.60, but the edge was given to Maxwell in 21st-place. Enrica Tapia finished the race shortly after the leading Mulerider duo with a time of 16:31.40 and was spotted in 24th-place.
Freshman Gary Smith capped off his first meet in the Blue & Gold with a time of 16:34.80 which put him in 27th-place. The next newcomer to conclude his run was Flintan Lehman who finished in 41st-place with a time of 17:06.50. Brandon Escobar finished 52nd with his time of 17:41.60.
Sophomore Charles Patton completed the first meet of the new campaign with a 63rd-place finish and a time of 18:10.40. Hez Morries finished 67th with a time of 18:24.30 and only a couple of seconds behind three other Muleriders passed the end goal. Hunter Pye finished 69th (18:29.30), Isaac Gass finished 70th (18:29.40), and Johnny Hart finished 71st (18:30.90). Freshman Owen Shafer placed 78th with a time of 19:03.80.
The women finished in 5th out of a total of 10 teams with the top runner for SAU being junior Ava Zindler, who finished the 5k in 13th-place with a time of 20:18.30. The next Mulerider to finish for the women was Logan Warren in 19th-place with a time of 21:02.20.
Sophomore Madyson Pence crossed the line shortly after Warren in 21st-place with a time of 21:07.40. Freshman Savanah Esterline placed 30th in her first collegiate-meet and claimed her time of 21:48.20. Rylee Robinson ran through the line with a time of 22:22.80 to place her in 35th.
Cheyenne Olson completed her first meet as a Mulerider and finished 40th with a time of 22:52.40. Marlene Soto recorded a time of 28:17.80 to place 72nd.
The Muleriders will look to keep up the pace at the Southern Stampede in Joplin Missouri, hosted by Missouri Southern on September 20th.
