MEMPHIS, Tenn. (August 31, 2024) – The University of North Alabama cross country teams competed in the City Auto Memphis Twilight XC Classic Saturday night. Both the men's and women's teams finished in the fifth slot of the meet.
The women's 5k side featured 14 teams placing above teams to the likes of Memphis and UT-Martin. The men's four-mile race featured 13 teams such as Ole Miss, UT-Martin and MTSU where the Lions placed above Arkansas State and Memphis.
The men placed fifth out of 13 competing teams which saw six top-50 placements in a 134 lot of runners. Brian Bett headlined the pack with a time of 19:46.35 that launched him into the third overall spot. Bett came six seconds shy of the number two position in his first collegiate race.
Adam Nipper was the next highest Lion at 26 with a 21:05.26 time in his first four-mile run during his career. Aidan Shannon, Alex Kuntz, Thomas Ludwig, and Edan Jamieson followed suit with their first ever four-mile runs finishing with a 21:48.78, 22:31.72, 23:16.84 and 25:30.34 respectively.
Sophomore
Brent Lyons finds a new personal record as he slides in at the 28th spot. He beat his previous record by more than 10 seconds with a run of 21:09.15. Jacksom Hamlion grabs his own personal record, besting his previous by seven, with a total of 21:40.0.
The men totaled 119 points to secure the placement over Arkansas State who had 128 and Memphis who had 133.
The women placed fifth out of 14 competing teams with two top-25 finishes in Gracie Matthews at 18:51.65 for 15th and
Laura Mobley at 19:17.86 for 25th. The Lions nabbed five of the top-40 spots where the race saw 109 total runners.
Senior
Aaliyah Charo placed 39th while debuting with a personal record of 19:58.70.
Sophia Gentile, a Florence high school product, completes her first ever collegiate race with a time of 21:40.81.
The women totaled 142 points where they edged out the sixth spot UT-Martin Skyhawks who had 153. The Lions dominated Memphis by 44, where they totaled 186 points.
Next up, the Lions host the 6th annual UNA Invitational on Saturday, September 7 at McFarland Park.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
