The Lamar University women’s cross-country team repeated as Southland Conference champions, Nov. 1, in New Orleans. The men placed sixth in in the SLC championships and both teams advance to NCAA regionals.
The women were led by senior Nia Clatworthy, who finished second in the women’s 6K race by crossing the line in 20:35.47. Clatworthy was followed by Cara Inch, Inca Padfield, Emma Powell and Annabel Hobday, who all finished in the top 15. The team dominated the course, beating second-place Texas A&M-Corpus Christi by 43 points.
Senior Cara Inch was the second Cardinal to cross the line. She said that the finish reflected her mindset throughout the race.
"I decided early on to try and break away from the field," she said. "I felt I gave a good effort to catch up to the front pack, and by the end, I managed to gap Corpus Christi's second runner by about 15 seconds."
Inch is now a back-to-back champion, along with a two-time First Team SLC runner, and she said that her initial feeling was relief.
"It had been the expectation all year but lifting that trophy and putting on the massive T-shirts is so fun,” she said. “It's nice to have your hard work recognized by the SLC."
Senior Freddy Richardson led the way for the Cardinal men in the 8k race with a second-place finish. Lloyd Sheppard-Brown finished in 11th. The two top Cardinals crossed the line in 24:41.65 and 25:29.95 respectively.
Richardson said he thought the course around Lake Oak Park was a good environment for running.
“The course was nice,” he said. “It had four loops, which was great for the atmosphere as I was able to run past my cheering friends and teammates multiple times. It wasn’t too sturdy under the feet, but the flat loops made for a quick race.
“The toughest part physically for me was the weather,” he said. “The humid morning made for very tough conditions, and I think that challenged me mentally. The race felt tougher than usual early on.”
Richardson said he was able to finish strong.
“I had made my final kick for home,” he said. “I had gone past third and fourth place, so I knew I had done enough to get second place. I felt a lot of relief and was glad to see the finish line.”
The team received multiple individual awards at the meet. Clatworthy, Inch and Richardson were awarded Southland Conference first team honors. Padfield, Powell and Hobday, along with Sheppard-Brown, were awarded with Southland conference second team honors. Padfield also won Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year.
Head distance coach Andrew Sweeney won his second-straight Southland Conference Coach of the Year award.
The Cardinals continue their season at College Station for the NCAA Regional Championships, Nov. 15.