EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Junior Claire Brown (Petersburg) led the way for the SIUE women's cross country team once again as the Cougars hosted the SIUE Cross Country Challenge Friday evening.
In what was the first of two home meets the Cougars will host this season, SIUE Head Coach Eileen McAllister said she thought the atmosphere was great.
"It was perfect," McAllister said. "I thought the environment was fantastic with so many other athletes and parents out here. I know that our athletes appreciate that."
A week after posting a 17th place finish at the EIU Walt Crawford Open, Brown earned an eighth-place finish Friday with a 5K time of 19 minutes, 13.86 seconds.
"Claire really trained hard this summer, and it's showing," McAllister said. "She's a great leader. And we're just looking for her to continue to drop time moving forward. She's doing exactly what we want her to do."
Junior Renee Goodenough (St. Louis, Mo.) also was impressive for the Cougars, finishing 19th out of 56 runners with a time of 19:51.19.
"Renee continues to take steps forward," McAllister said. "She's getting back to where we need her to be."
Also competing for SIUE were freshmen Haley Briggs (Argenta) and Conradette King (Jefferson City, Mo.). Briggs posted a time of 20:05.48 while King finished in 20:54.49.
Running unattached and finishing first overall was Cougar track & field athlete Aftan Noon, who put together a standout performance with a time of 17:52.93. The time completely smashed the previous SIUE Cross Country Course record and would have been the fifth-fastest time in program history.
The Cougars now have a week off from competition before they travel to Louisville, Ky., for the Greater Louisville Classic on Sept. 29.
"We're very excited for Louisville," McAllister added. "It will be a huge meet since they host nationals this year. I'm really excited about what we can do out there."
