by Benny Benton
SALISBURY, N.C. – Barton College senior Sharon Kiptoo posted a top-10 finish in leading the women's cross country team to a sixth-place finish at the Chick Fil-A Invitational on Saturday, while freshman Alex Kelly paced four individuals running on the men's side with a top-40 showing.
Kiptoo recorded a 5K time of 20:13.9 to place ninth among 114 runners in the event hosted by Catawba College. The effort by the resident of Eldoret, Kenya, ranked second among Conference Carolinas participants.
Sophomore Meghan Araldi, competing in just her third collegiate cross country meet, posted her best time (22:27.5) and highest finish (28th) as a Lady Bulldog. The Albany, N.Y., resident cut more than two minutes off her mark on the same Salisbury Community Park course a year ago.
Barton also received a top-50 finish from senior Judith Melly, who came in 41st with a time of 23:27.5.
Two freshmen made their collegiate debuts for the Lady Bulldogs in the race. Brooke Lonergan of Grand Haven, Mich., finished 57th with a time of 25:01.4, and Andrea Mills of Bloomfield, Conn., placed 73rd with a mark of 28:06.8.
The Lady Bulldogs finished in the top half of the 14-team field, which was led by event champion Wingate University.
With top men's runner Joel Lagat out due to injury, Barton did not field a team for the meet. Kelly, the freshman from Newport News, Va., led the four Bulldog individuals, recording an 8K time of 30:31.1 to finish 38th in a field of 101.
Another freshman, Greg Gibbs of Newark, N.J., placed 46th with a Barton debut of 31:22.3, three spots behind redshirt sophomore teammate, Leslie Jones, who recorded a career-best 8K mark of 31:15.9. Senior Qasim Ray rounded out the Barton participation, finishing 73rd with an effort of 34:21.3.
Louisburg College edged Wingate University to claim the men's team title.
Barton will return to action on Friday, Sept. 15, when it competes in the Adidas XC Challenge at Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
