Lady Bison Dominant at GAC Meet

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Oklahoma Baptist women's cross country claimed the school's first postseason Great American Conference championship Saturday in dominating fashion.
 
Abby Hoover led a quarter of four Lady Bison to cross the finish line ahead of the lead runner from any other school. Hoover claimed the GAC championship in 17:57.42 on the five-kilometer race.
 
Sydney Lawrence placed second in 18:20.83, Kaylee Crowson was third at 18:36.11 and Emily Sechrist finished fourth at 18:46.43. Tesa Potter rounded out the scoring for OBU in 10^th at 19:06.13.
 
"Abby sacrifice so much last year, not competing, to help make this happen. Runner of the Year is a deserved award," said OBU Coach Matt Kennedy, who captured Coach of the Year honors. "The girls ran a smart race. I feel like I say that every week."
 
Lawrence, Crowson, Sechrist and Potter earned First Team All-GAC honors.
 
Also for the Lady Bison, Daisy VanMeter was 12^th at 19:40 and Megan Allen was 21^st at 20:10.
 
Allison Derry was 22^nd at 20:15, Destinee Allen was 31^st at 20:46, Ashley Scrivner was 48^th at 21:26, Britney Hammans was 72^nd at 22:52, Ashley Ellis was 77^th at 23:05 and Sarah O'Bryan placed 82^nd at 23:46.
 
OBU won with 20 points, followed by East Central at 48 and Harding at 66. Arkansas Tech was fourth at 126, followed by Southern Arkansas (152), Southeastern Oklahoma State (186), Southern Nazarene (186), Southwestern Oklahoma State (195), Northwestern Oklahoma State (254), Henderson State (307), Ouachita Baptist (309) and Arkansas-Monticello (364).
 
Sechrist, Lawrence and Zoya Timoshenko earned Scholar Athlete status.
 
The victory was special to OBU, which was ineligible to win last year despite having the times to do so.
 
"It was rough to watch another team carry off the award last year," Kennedy said. "Winning Runner of the Year, five First Team All-Conference and all the academic awards; it was like this trophy represented two to us."
 
Next up for the Lady Bison is the Central Regional in Kearney, Nebraska, Nov. 4. The top three from that meet advance to the national championship.