UDC Women’s Cross Country Show Improvement at Cappy Anderson Invitational

PRINCESS ANNE, MD – The University of the District of Columbia women's cross country team competed in the Cappy Anderson Invitational hosted by University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday morning. Competing against five Division I schools and one other Division II school, the Firebirds placed 7^th of seven teams with a team total score of 162.

Leading the way for UDC was freshman Niasia Harding, who paced the Firebirds with a time of 24:28.83 and placed 38^th overall out of 53 runners. Harding, who improved on last week's 5K time by nearly eight minutes, was the first of a pack of five Firebird runners to come in close together, as freshman Shannel Hibbert was next at 24:34.63, then junior Shayna Hodge at 24:42.26, then senior Brittany Okon at 24:53.76, and then Kenlyn Duncan at 25:01.00. Hibbert cut five minutes off of last week's time, Hodge improved by 46 seconds, Okon's time was 2:37 faster than last week, and Duncan took over seven minutes off her time from last week.

The sixth finisher for UDC was freshman Temera Duncan, who crossed in 26:49.74 – nearly three minutes faster than her time from last week. Another freshman, Deasia Greer, finished the course in a time of 27:00.52 in her collegiate debut.

The Firebirds will compete again next week at the Delaware State Farm Run Invitational on Saturday, September 24^th.