Above photo provided by the UMHB Athletics Department
ROUND ROCK, Texas- Running on the same course as the University of Texas and its ASC foes, the UMHB cross country team held its own at the Concordia (TX) Tornado Watch, especially on the women’s side where the Cru placed second.
The meet opened UMHB’s schedule, as the Cru will run in a total of six meets, with the ASC Championships closing out the 2021 season.
In the women’s 5K, the Crusaders finished second to Texas, a program that enters its season ranked No. 2 in the South Central Region by the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCAA), tallying a total of 63 points. The format of cross country features a point system awarded to each team’s first seven athletes, with the lowest overall team score earning the victory. Texas posted a “perfect 15” performance, with Longhorns taking the top seven places.
UMHB’s Holly Dasher ran at the front of the middle pack, crossing the line eighth. The defending ASC individual champion posted a time of 20:54, with an average mile time of 6:44.5. Caitlyn Thrasher came in 12th for UMHB, finishing her collegiate debut in a time of 21:21.8.
In the men’s 5K, UMHB was fifth overall, with a score of 135 points. Texas took the top spot, another “perfect 15” for the Longhorns, while Concordia (TX) came in second.
Jonathan Stirtz, a freshman, was the Cru’s top finisher, clocking a time of 19:56.2. UMHB’s Justin Miller and Sean Reid placed 28th and 29th, respectively.
Only five of UMHB’s eight-man team crossed the finish line, with freshmen Latrell Bowen, Evan Burnell and Diego Aranda listed as Did Not Finish on the race results.
The Crusaders continue the season at the Our Lady of the Lake Invitational on Sept. 18 in San Antonio. The men are set to run an 8K, while the women compete in a 6K.
