Women's Cross Country Returns from Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Belmont University Women's Cross Country team earned an 11th place finish in a competitive field at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama. 

The Bruins faced off against major regional competitors and came out on top against Baylor, Appalachian State, and others. 

Sophomore Sophie Nicholls led the Belmont team, placing 22nd overall with a personal best time of 17:19.6. "I felt pretty good at 3K to go. I saw that marker and I heard the boys cheering and that was pretty good. It kept me motivated and it kept me going," Nicholls recounts.

Nicholls beat her previous best, which she set at last year's Southern Showcase, by 20 seconds. Australian freshman Isabella Harte finished second with an impressive time of 17:45.8. 

Senior Clara Crain and freshmen Sienna Anderson and Hannah Clark rounded out Belmont's top five finishers. The team accumulated a total of 300 points.

Head Coach Jeff Langdon feels confident in the team's potential heading into the bulk of the season, despite various injuries and illnesses. "We're just going to get better each and every race. Obviously Sophie really stepped up well; we knew she was going to have a good race, but I think she even exceeded my expectations. Good day overall for the Bruins, but we've still got a lot of work to do," says Langdon.

Belmont Individual Finishes (Times)
22. Sophie Nicholls (17:19.6)
45. Isabella Harte (17:45.8)
60. Sienna Anderson (18:01.9)
85. Clara Crain (18:17.9)
106. Hannah Clark (18:30.4)
114. Effie Ward (18:35.0)
130. Lilie Fouts (18:42.5)
201. Carson Wasemiller (19:23.6)
223. Ellie Scholma (19:43.5)
233. Bella Domier (19:49.5)

Up Next
The Bruins will travel to South Bend, Ind. on Friday, Oct. 2nd, to compete at Notre Dame's Joe Piane Invitational.

How to Follow
Follow Belmont Track & Field and Cross Country on social media - @BelmontXCTF on X, formerly Twitter, @belmontxctf and @belmontmxc on Instagram, and @BUXCTF on Facebook for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.