CRCXC Holds Its Own Against NCAA

CRCXC Holds Its Own Against NCAA- Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 9/17/23

Memphis, TN- Cross country is a unique sport. No halftime. No timeouts. No subs. And multiple teams, from many different divisions and conferences, competing against each other--all at the same time. In almost all other sports, 1 team plays 1 team. In cross country, it's often as many teams as can be crammed into a start line.

This weekend 13 different teams, along with several unattached runners, toed the line at the Rhodes College Invitational in Memphis, TN. Of those 13, many were NCAA DI, DII, and DIII schools. When asked about his small NAIA squad competing against the much larger NCAA schools in the meet, Head Coach Shannon Beasley said, "We ain't scared! We play the best to be our best."

Coach Beasley said he couldn't be prouder of his men's and women's teams. Anthony Holladay, freshman, Tuckerman, AR, Nathan Hunter, freshman, West Memphis, AR, and Brady Minix, freshman, Akron, OH, all defeated runners from NCAA DII and DIII schools. Taylin Green, freshman, Bald Knob, AR, Shelby Elrod, senior, Barlow, KY, and Sami Tonkery, sophomore, Zanesville, OH, also all outpaced NCAA DII and DIII athletes.

"It was a great test, competing against these large, well-funded universities and their top-notch programs. DI school Arkansas State University won their conference championship last year and did great at NCAA Nationals, so it was nice to line up with them and give our gentlemen and ladies an opportunity to compare their fitness and skills against the best. It's great to see us hold our own and rise to the challenge." Beasley says his Pioneers get better every time and he can't be more excited about what's coming.

What's coming is more challenging competition next week in St. Louis, MO, as CRC gets ready to face many other top-level programs at the Gorlok-Griffin Invitational.