by Benny Benton
HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – Four members of the Barton College women's cross country team set new personal 5K records for the Lady Bulldogs and two others recorded their best times of the season on a fast course Saturday at the Sand Shark Invitational, hosted by the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
As a group, the Lady Bulldogs finished third among five Conference Carolinas teams competing in the meet and 18th overall among a field of 37 programs.
Senior Cimone Barbour led the way for Barton with her career best at that distance, a time of 19:38.49. Her previous best 5K for the Lady Bulldogs had been a 20:20, delivered as a freshman at the 2011 Conference Carolinas Tournament. Barbour placed 72nd on Saturday in a large field of 243 participants.
Seniors Lauren Andreola and Andrea Roca posted their best times of the year in finishing second and third on the team. Andreola finished 10 seconds behind Barbour in 80th (19:48.26), while Roca placed 112th with a mark of 20:25.1.
Sophomore Heather Cuddington set a new PR of 20:28.36 while finishing three spots behind Roca in 115th. Her previous best had been 20:57.96, established in her first career race for the Lady Bulldogs last year at the Seahawk Invitational.
Senior Angelica Del Real, who had posted Barton's fastest time last weekend in the 6K Falcon Classic, was fifth on the squad this time with an effort of 20:47.83 (125th).
Although neither of their times made the counting scores, juniors Jamicia Jones and Eva Amo-Mensah both blew away their 5K PRs. Jones finished just three one-hundredths of a second behind Del Real (20:47.86, 126th), cutting a minute and 12 seconds off her previous best of 22 minutes flat set in last year's season-opener.
Amo-Mensah, a transfer this season, turned in a time of 21:34.04 (159th), more than a minute and a half off the Barton PR of 23:10 she had collected in her last 5K event on Oct. 4. Amo-Mensah has improved her time in each of the four 5K races this year.
Barton defeated league foes Erskine College (20th) and Belmont Abbey College (26th) while trailing conference newcomers Emmanuel College (15th) and Southern Wesleyan University (17th). The Lady Bulldogs finished just three points behind SWU.
The Lady Bulldogs are idle this week before returning to action on Friday, Nov. 7, in the 2014 Conference Carolinas Championships in Concord, N.C.
Barton Women's Cross Country Results (5K)
19:38.49 – Cimone Barbour (72nd/243)
19:48.26 – Lauren Andreola (80th)
20:25.10 – Andrea Roca (112th)
20:28.36 – Heather Cuddington (115th)
20:47.83 – Angelica Del Real (125th)
20:47.86 – Jamicia Jones (126th)
21:34.04 – Eva Amo-Mensah (159th)
