CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Paced by senior Emily Eckroth, the Anderson women's cross country team claimed 16th place at the 2012 Royal Cross Country Challenge, hosted by Queens University of Charlotte Friday afternoon at McAlpine Creek Park.
The 5K event saw Eckroth (19:44.7), who paced the Trojans in three of their four previous outings, trim seven seconds off her personal best this season en route to finishing 92nd. Fellow senior Amanda Mahaffey was just five seconds off her season-best effort from a week ago and claimed 100th.
The Trojan trio of sophomore Madison Guest (21:42.5), sophomore Sydney Hazel (21:42.6) and freshman Devan Fisher (21:42.8) crossed the line as a group, with Fisher just off her career-best from a week ago by a half-second, as they finished 142nd, 143rd and 144th, respectively. Junior Rachel Westberry cut 22 seconds off her previous personal best from this season, claiming 153rd.
Anderson will compete at the 2012 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 20 in Greeneville, Tenn., with Tusculum hosting the event on campus.
