Highlights from USC Upstate Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – In an impressive display of athleticism, Sophie Farley, a sophomore runner, once again shattered the Longwood women’s cross country 5K record at the USC Upstate Invitational, leading her team to a commendable fifth-place finish among 23 competing teams.
Record-Setting Performance
Farley finished fourth overall in a competitive field of 217 runners, completing the race with a time of 17:38.8. This new personal best marks a four-second improvement from her previous record set earlier in September at the Lancer Pink Invitational.
Team Achievements
The performance of the Longwood women’s team was notable, as they achieved an average time of 18:37 for their top five runners, a milestone where all scored runners completed the race in under 19 minutes for the first time in the program’s history.
Individual Highlights
- Kirsten Morley: Finished 36th with a time of 18:40.6, just shy of her personal best by four seconds.
- Sydney O’Hara-Wood: Crossed the finish line in 42nd place, achieving a time of 18:50.5, also close to her previous record.
- Lanie Grogg: Marked a personal milestone by breaking 19 minutes for the first time in her career, completing the race in 18:57.8, good enough for 52nd place.
- Priscilla Keller: Finished 53rd with a season-best time of 18:58.6.
- Madison Davis: Clocked in at 19:11.0, while Riley Humphries finished with a time of 19:40.8, both marking personal bests.
What They Said
Brooke Craig, the Director of Cross Country and Track & Field at Longwood, emphasized the team’s focus by stating, “The goal for today was for the team to keep pushing forward as we finished out our regular season. We checked a lot of boxes today and are ready for the challenge at home in two weeks.”
Final Standings
The final team standings revealed:
- Jacksonville State: 35
- College of Charleston: 63
- UNC Asheville: 79
- Western Carolina: 156
- Longwood: 169 (Positions: 4, 34, 38, 46, 47 (58)(66))
- Cambell: 182
- UNC Greensboro: 242
- Winthrop: 255
- Georgia Southern: 269
- Alabama A&M: 274
- USC Upstate: 278
- West Georgia: 307
- Gardner-Webb: 308
- North Georgia: 330
- Wofford: 420
- Bridgewater (Va.): 448
- Georgia State: 489
- Citadel: 539
- Bob Jones: 588
- Columbia (S.C.): 598
- Truett-McConnell: 663
- Calflin: 708
- S.C. State: 715
Next Steps
Looking ahead, the Longwood women’s cross country team is set to compete in the Big South Championship on Friday, October 31, with the women’s race scheduled for 9:45 a.m. at the Longwood Cross Country Course on Johnson Drive.
#GoWood #HorsePower
