Lott paces Lady Texans to third place finish at NJCAA Cross Country Championships

INA, Ill. – Sophomore Darroneshia Lott became the second Lady Texan in as many years to claim the individual NJCAA cross country national championship and helped pace her team to a third place finish in the team standings.

Lott – who finished third in last year's race – cruised to a relatively easy victory, crossing the line 16-seconds ahead of second place with a season-best time of 17 minutes, 48.4 seconds.

The performance makes Lott a five-time All-American performer and two-time NJCAA Champion, having won last year's NJCAA Half-Marathon championship, a title she will attempt to defend Nov. 17 in Levelland.

Also earning all-American accolades was Ekaterina Miroshnikova, finishing 15th overall and turning in a time of 19:03.4.

Sarah Peterson (19:50.8), Michaela Johnson (20:04.3), and Maddie Kauffman (20:15.0) rounded out the Lady Texans team score with finishes of 46th, 55th, and 74th, respectively.

Desreen Montague (20:44.0) and Brittany Letts (20:59.6) also competed for the Lady Texans, finishing 95th and 110th.

South Plains finished with 156 points, only 11 behind second place Central Arizona.  Iowa Central won the women's event with 40 points.

The Texans did not fare quite as well, finishing 16th in the team standings.  Cordaryl Whitehead (27:58.8) led the Texans with a 75th place finish.

South Plains will end their season when they host the NJCAA Half-Marathon championships in Levelland Nov. 17.  The race will begin, and end, at the Mallet Event Center located south of Levelland on US Highway 385.

Lady Texan finishers
1st     Darroneshia Lott (17:48.4)
15th    Ekaterina Miroshnikova (19:03.4)
46th    Sarah Peterson (19:50.8)
55th    Michaela Johnson (20:05.1)
74th    Maddie Kauffman (20:15.0)
95th    Desreen Montague (20:44.)
110thBrittany Letts (20:59.6)

Texan finishers
75th    Cordaryl Whitehead (27:58.8)
111th    Marco Arias (28:28.8)
121st    Eladio Perez (28:34.2)
124th    Kin Scott (28:38.1)
131st    Brandonn Bernal (28:46.6)
150th    Michael Waller (29:08.5)
168th    Zach Daniel (29:26.7