by Benny Benton
SALISBURY, N.C. – Sharon Kiptoo and Heather Cuddington both produced top-10 performances in leading the Barton College women's cross country team to a sixth-place finish among 10 teams on Saturday in the Chick-Fil-A Invitational hosted by Catawba College.
The two all-conference honorees from a year ago picked right back up where they left off in 2015. Kiptoo, a junior from Eldoret, Kenya, placed third in the field of 74 runners with a time of 20:23.30 on the 5K course at Salisbury Community Park. Cuddington, a senior from Saratoga, N.C., came in 10th with a mark of 21:08.67.
The Lady Bulldogs, in their first meet under new head coach David Nicholson, also received a career-best performance from junior Judith Melly, who shaved more than a minute off her personal record with a mark of 22:30.38 that ranked 23rd in the event.
Redshirt senior Jamicia Jones finished 39th with a time of 24:28.88, and freshman Meghan Araldi crossed the line roughly six seconds later in 41st with a mark of 24:34.63 to round out Barton's counting scores. Senior Jayvona McDaniel completed the course in 25:22.53 to place 45th.
Lenoir-Rhyne University, led by runner-up Audra Yarber, won the meet with 63 points, five points better than Conference Carolinas member Pfeiffer University.
Hannah Mercer of host Catawba was the race winner with a time of 19:39.91, and helped the Indians to third place with 92 points. Louisburg College was fourth with 101 points, followed by Winston-Salem State University with 113 and Barton with 116.
Far behind BC in seventh was Guilford College, who had 187 points. Rounding out the scoring was Livingstone College in eighth with 201, Bluefield State College in ninth with 224, and Salem College in 10th with 265.
The Lady Bulldogs will return to action next Friday when they will host the fourth annual Bulldog Cross Country Invitational at J. Burt Gillette Park. The women's race will begin at 6 p.m., and is free and open to the public.
Chick-Fil-A Invitational
1. Lenoir-Rhyne University 63
2. Pfeiffer University 68
3. Catawba College 92
4. Louisburg College 101
5. Winston-Salem State University 113
6. Barton College 116
7. Guilford College 187
8. Livingstone College 201
9. Bluefield State College 224
10. Salem College 265
Barton finishers
3. Sharon Kiptoo – 20:23.30
10. Heather Cuddington – 21:08.67
23. Judith Melly – 22:30.38
39. Jamicia Jones – 24:28.88
41. Meghan Araldi – 24:34.63
(45). Jayvona McDaniel – 25:22.53
