FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Mulerider Cross Country wrapped up their weekend at the Chile Pepper Festival, hosted by the University of Arkansas. Competing against a deep field of programs from across the nation and across all of college athletics. The Muleriders seek to continue growing momentum as they near closer and closer to the Great American Conference Championships located in Monticello, Arkansas. Southern Arkansas has just one more meet before that trip to Drew County, as the Blue and Gold now preps for the Old Glory Gallop, hosted by Dallas Baptist University. In the Chile Pepper Festival's Men's McDonnell Memorial 8K, the Mulerider Men finished 28th with 746 points. The Mulerider Women finished 11th in the Festival's Women's Prairie Fire Pepper 5K with 294 points.
Mulerider Men
Among a 285-runner field, Southern Arkansas saw eight competitors, in which included Wesley Maxwell, Isaac Gass, Joseph Uc, Lyndon Orr, Jack Landrum, Myson McFall, Fintan Lehmann, and Johnny Hart.
Crossing the finish line first for the Muleriders was senior Lone Star native Wesley Maxwell, as the leader for the Blue and Gold finished the run with a time of 25:58.4 in 119th place. The senior finished just a millisecond behind Austin Goetsche from Northwest Missouri State.
Also inside the top-200 for the Muleriders was Isaac Gass in 183rd. The senior from Jessiieville, Arkansas finished his outing with a time of 26:54.6. The time set a new standard for Gass, as the Natural State native recorded his first sub-27-minute mark and set a new career record.
Other Muleriders finished as such: Joseph Uc (200th | 27:09.0), Lyndon Orr (202nd | 27:12.2), Jack Landrum (212th | 27:28.3 | Personal Best), Myson McFall (221st | 27:39.9 | Personal Best), Fintan Lehmann (245th | 28:22.8), Johnny Hart (258th | 29:03.5).
Mulerider Women
Among a 239-runner field, Southern Arkansas saw eight competitors, in which included Rylee Robinson, Ava Zindler, Rachel Solano, Kailee Carr, Cantley Gosdin, Cheyenne Olson, Kaylie Goad, and Savanah Esterline,
Highlighting the Muleriders' fantastic performance in the expansive field were the five top-100 finishers for Southern Arkansas and two top-50 placements.
Finishing the 5K first for Southern Arkansas was sophomore Rylee Robinson, as the Fort Worth, Texas native crossed the finish line with a time of 19:49.8 placing her in 42nd. Robinson's time ended up being her newest person best as she beat out her old PR by two milliseconds.
Not far behind Robinson was Ava Zindler, as the lone senior finished 48th with her time of 20:02.1. Next up for the Muleriders to finish was Rachel Solano in 65th. Solano capped off her run with a time of 20:24.7 for a new personal record. In 85th was Kailee Carr after the sophomore from the Lone Star state accounted for a time of 20:48.9, which also set a new personal best for her. The final member of the Blue and Gold to finish inside the top-100 ended up being Cantley Gosdin with her time of 21:01.3 earning her 94th in the outing.
Other Muleriders finished as such: Cheyenne Olson (128th | 21:50.6), Kaylie Goad (150th | 22:20.9), and Savanah Esterline (165th | 22:39.2).
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