Women's Cross Country | September 04, 2024
AIKEN, S.C. – USCA is set to compete at the Elon Opener for the second consecutive season.
Head coach
Marshall Leonard's women's cross country team took 11
th at the meet a season ago. This year, Leonard has talented student-athletes returning and a multitude of experienced student-athletes on his roster.
Leonard returns senior
Taylor Joop and sophomores
Alaynah Guthrie,
Bailey Kirkland,
Amaiyah Smith and
Tess Studley.
Joop posted a personal-best time for the fifth-best mark in school history at the PBC Championship, crossing in 19:45.7. Guthrie accounted for a top-30 time at the Blue Bear Invitational and garnered a top-40 effort at the PBC Championship. Kirkland steadily improved throughout the campaign and had a solid spring season. Smith tallied a 21
st-place effort at the Akiah McMillan Invitational and continued to trim down her times as the season progressed. Studley was the two-time PBC Runner of the Week and led the way for the squad throughout the season. She crossed the finish line in 19:16 at the PBC Championships.
Leonard's newcomers include juniors
Ainhoa Colino and
Emma Cox, sophomores
Jenna Couch and
Jade Weber and freshmen
Sydney Fallin,
Savannah Hill,
Gabrielle Jourdain and
Kendall Reynolds.
Colino posted a 5k time of 21:20 as a sophomore at Columbia College while Cox, a former teammate of Joop, notched a 5k time of 20:40 at Heartland C.C. Couch, a transfer from Columbia College, accounted for a 5k time of 21:51 while Weber had a top time of 24:59 at the Royals Challenge for Newberry.
Fallin was a three-time all-county honoree who posted a 5k time of 20:11 as a junior at Fleming Island H.S. Hill, a four-time all-district honoree garnered a time of 20:47 in the 5k as a junior at Southampton H.S. Jourdain led her team to the SCISA II Class A state title as a senior while taking third place. She was the SCISA II Class A state cross country winner as a junior and had a 5k time of 20:50 as a senior. She posted times of 20:26 as a junior and 20:03 her sophomore campaign. Reynolds guided Pinkerton Academy to a state title her senior campaign. Reynolds also led the squad to a third-place finish at the Meet of Champions.
USCA was selected seventh in the PBC Preseason Poll.
The Pacers take part in the event Friday, Sept. 8.
