MONROE, La. – The ULM cross country teams are set to compete for the third straight weekend at the Little Rock Invitational Saturday at War Memorial Park. The women's 5K race begins at 10:15 a.m. with the men's 8K race to follow at 11.
The Warhawks are coming off Sunday's Mook 4 Invitational at Louisiana Tech, where the women's team defeated LA Tech and freshman Eliana Battle claimed the individual championship.
Saturday's Warhawk women's team will include Battle, sophomore Kaye-Loni Bowden, senior Benadine Chelimo, sophomore Kirstin Elrod and sophomore Trinity Walker.
Battle won Sunday's 4K race at the Mook 4 Invitational in 16:07. In the first race of her collegiate career, Battle placed second at the Warhawk Invitational, completing the 5K course in 18:56.
Bowden placed seventh at the Mook 4 Invitational in 18:11. She completed the Warhawk Invitational 5K race in 23:11. Her career-best 5K race was a time of 20:36.4 at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival on Oct. 5, 2019, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Chelimo has a pair of Top-3 finishes to her name to open the 2020 season. Chelimo was second at the Mook 4 Invitational, finishing close behind Battle in 16:07 to take second place. In the season-opening Warhawk Invitational, Chelimo placed third in the 5K race in 19:25.
Elrod is coming off an eighth-place finish at the Mook 4 Invitational in 18:14. Elrod completed the Warhawk Invitational 5K in 22:57.
Walker did not compete in the Mook 4 Invitational. She completed the Warhawk Invitational 5K in 23:34.
On the men's side, the Warhawk roster includes senior Kevin Dietrich, freshman Reid Guirlando, sophomore Adrian Harris, senior Eric Hawkins, senior Logan Malone and sophomore Jaylen Wade.
Dietrich led the Warhawks at Sunday's Mook 4 Invitational 4-mile race, placing ninth in 23:13. His best 8K time came in the 2018 Mississippi College Invitational, which he completed in 27:51.1.
Guirlando completed the Mook 4 Invitational in 27:32. Saturday's race is his first collegiate 8K event.
Harris ran Sunday's Mook 4 Invitational in 25:40. His best 8K time came at last season's Mississippi College Invitational at 29:28.4.
Hawkins placed 11th at the Mook 4 Invitational in 25:39. He ran his best 8K at last season's Mississippi College Invitational in 27:27.0.
Malone completed the Mook 4 Invitational in 27:32. The Little Rock Invitational is his first 8K race of his collegiate career.
Wade finished the Mook 4 Invitational in 26:13. His career-best 8K time is 30:12.8 set at last year's Mississippi College Invitational.
Any fans choosing to attend Saturday's race are required by the State of Arkansas to wear face masks in all public settings, social distancing will be required and temperature checks may be taken upon entrance to the park.
