SPC Cross Country Season Gets Underway at Texas Tech Open

LUBBOCK -- The South Plains College Texan and Lady Texan cross country teams completed their first meet of the 2012 season Friday evening at the Texas Tech Open and run on Meadowbrook Golf Course in Lubbock. The SPC women completed the 5000M course with 87 team points and a third place finish, while the men tallied 172 points and an eighth place finish.

Sophomore Darroneshia Lott went out with the leaders early, but faded midway through the race and finished a disappointing ninth overall. Lott - who was the champion in this race a year ago - finished with a time of 19:48.18, 45-seconds off last year's winning time of 19:03.00. 

The winning time of this year's race was 19:05.25.

Sophomore transfer Ekaterina Miroshnikova was SPC's second finisher, crossing the line in 20:36.66 in 22nd place. Desreen Montague (20:54.81) and Michaela Johnson (21:01.75) were not far behind in 26th and 27th, while Maddie Kauffman (21:12.94) completed the Lady Texan team score in 32nd.

The Texans were also a little sluggish at the start of the men's 8,000M race. Assistant CoachFrank Barker said he was a bit disappointed when he first saw his team come through the first half-mile, but was then relieved to see they were about where he was anticipating them to be at the one-mile marker.

Trey Quick, a sophomore transfer from Vincennes, led the way with a 28th place finish and a course time of 27:31.78. Zach Daniel (28:01.25), Brandon Bernal (28:09.06), and Cordaryl Whitehead (28:13.47) were SPC's second, third and fourth runners to cross the line and the 40th, 43rd, and 47th overall. 

Eladio Perez (28:33.22) completed the team scoring with a 58th place finish.

"My expectations are a lot higher than what we ran today," Barker said regarding both men's and women's teams. "But I think the future still looks pretty good for us."

The Texan and Lady Texan cross country teams will look to improve upon their season opening meet when they travel to Snyder Sat., Sept. 22 where they will compete in the Western Texas College Invitational, the second meet of a scheduled five consecutive weekends of competition.