GOLDEN SUNS FINISH 13TH OUT OF 36 TEAMS AT SATURDAY'S
BROOKS MEMPHIS TWILIGHT CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC

        MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Arkansas Tech Women’s Cross Country continued its 2008 season here Saturday evening at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex by finishing 13th out of 36 teams and third among non NCAA Division I schools at the Brooks/Memphis Twilight Classic hosted by Christian Brothers University.

Tech, who is ranked fourth in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA D-II South Region Poll, scored 374 points to finish five points behind 12th place Austin Peay and 57 points in front of 14th place North Alabama. In addition, Tech was the third highest finisher among the 21 non-NCAA Division I teams competing, as Harding (240 points) finished in eighth place and Alabama-Huntsville (266 points) finished in ninth place.

Arkansas (22 points) took the women’s team title as the Razorbacks had four of the meet’s top six finishers. Kentucky (75 points) and Alabama-Birmingham (119 points) finished second and third respectively.

“I was proud of the way of team ran against a strong field of competitors,” Tech Head Cross Country Coach Tom Aspel said. “We had four runners finish in the Top 100 and that was impressive from a team standpoint.”

 Leading the way for Tech was junior Melissa Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.). Pollreis finished 55th overall out of 275 runners as she ran a time of 20:17.68 over the 5,000-meter course. It was the second straight meet that Pollreis was the highest Tech finisher as she finished fourth at the Tech Twilight Classic in Russellville on Aug. 29.

Arkansas’ Catherine White took home the women’s individual title as she ran the course in a time of 17:39.51, while Arkansas’ Denise Bargiachi ran a time of 17:54.18 to finish in second place.

Other Tech finishers behind Pollreis were junior Michelle Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.), who ran a time of 20:56.96 to finish in 81st place, while senior Kayla Waldrup (El Dorado, Ark.) ran a time of 20:58.17 to finish in 82nd place and sophomore Lauren Karnitz (DeSoto, Kan.) ran a time of 20:58.67 to finish in 83rd place. The Tech contingent was completed by senior Brianna Greene (Harrison, Ark.), who ran the course in a time of 21:21.32 to finish in 101st place, sophomore Erika Wardlaw (Eureka Springs, Ark.) ran a time of 22:10.98 to finish in 124th place and freshman Jessica Norris (Russellville, Ark.) completed the course in a time of 23:66.98 to finish in 177th place.  

The Golden Suns will return to action next Saturday, Sept. 20, when they compete at the Missouri Southern Stampede in Joplin, Mo. The meet will begin at 8:30 a.m.  

TECH WOMEN – INDIVIDUAL

Place          Name                  Time         Team Points

          55th            Melissa Pollreis      20:17.68            52

          81st            Michelle Pollreis     20:56.96            75

          82nd           Kayla Waldrup       20:58.17           76

          83rd            Lauren Karnitz       20:58.60           77

          101st          Brianna Greene     21:21.32           94

          114th          Erika Wardlaw       22:10.88         124

          177th          Jessica Norris        23:22.98          161       

             Complete 2008 Brooks/Memphis Twilight Results

           -- Tech Athletics --