TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Senior Denise Bargiachi was the lead runner for Arkansas Razorback women’s cross country at the NCAA Championships, held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind. on Monday.
Arkansas finished 15th in the team race with 404 points. Washington won the title with 79 points, Oregon was second with 131 points and Florida State rounded out the top three with 163 points.
“We had higher expectations than how we finished today,” head coach Lance Harter said. “Most schools would be thrilled with a 15th-place finish. We were just expecting more. We had good reason for lofty goals. I think we were a little too casual in our start. We were farther back than we thought we’d be and there was a degree of panic. We were out of comfort zone after the start and never got in a good rhythm; we didn’t run our race. But this was a great season. We accomplished two of the three major goals, winning the SEC and winning the regional. We would have loved to finish top 10 and a place here and a place there would have been the difference.”
Bargiachi was Arkansas’ lead runner for the first time this season. She finished 54th overall with a 6,000-meter time of 20:51.7. Sophomore Catherine White was the second Hog to cross the finish line. She did so in a 6K time of 20:55.6 in 65ht place.
In her last race as a Razorback, Dacia Perkins finished 102nd with a time of 21:12.8. Sophomore Jillian Rosen was 141st with her 6K time of 21:31.1. Senior Christine Kalmer rounded out the scoring five with a time of 21:36.1 in 149th place.
Also competing for Arkansas were junior Megan Jackson (231st; 22:31.6) and freshman Samantha Learch (233rd; 22:34.3).
For complete results from the 2008 NCAA Championships, visit NCAA.com or GoSycamores.com.
Arkansas women’s cross country has completed its 2008 season. Razorback women’s track and field will open the 2009 season with the hosting of the Arkansas Invitational, January 9, at the Randal Tyson Track Center. For more information about Arkansas Athletics, visit .ArkansasRazorbacks.com.
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