Joplin, Mo. – The Central Methodist University women's cross country team ran in the Southern Stampede Cross Country Invitational on Saturday morning, hosted by Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. The Eagles finished in fifth place out of 17 teams.
"I am proud of how our women competed today, especially since we were down one of our top girls," said CMU Director of Cross Country Mark Nelson. "Sarah (Kurpjuweit) and Allyson (Ng) had very good days, and Alyssa Thomas (SO/Knob Noster, Mo.) really stepped up with a major personal best time, running stride for stride with Allyson (Ng) most of the race. This is the team I have been expecting to see based on how well we have been practicing."
As a team, Central Methodist finished in fifth place, with a time of 1:42:04.20. CMU finished higher than any other Heart school, with Evangel finishing in 7th place, Baker in 9th, and Missouri Valley in 14th.
Sarah Kurpjuweit finished a team best 13th individually, with a time of 19:48.25. Allyson Ng (SR/Kansas City, Mo.) finished just a few places back in 19th, with a total time of 20:05.54. Alyssa Thomas also had a strong showing for the Eagles, running a career best by over a minute, with a final time of 20:09.06. Thomas finished is 24th place individually.
The Eagles have a few weeks now to prepare for the Midwest Cross Country Invitational, hosted by Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri on the morning of October 8th.
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