COLLEGE STATION, Texas — 5th-year runner Dinah Winders and 1st-year runner Jacobi Ruiz paced the Harding women's cross-country team against elite Division I and ranked Division II competition, leading the Lady Bisons to a 36th-place team finish Friday morning at Texas A&M's Arturo Barrios Invitational at the Dale Watts '71 Cross Country Course.
Competing in a massive 46-team field featuring over 385 collegiate runners, the Lady Bisons totaled 970 points with a collective team time of 1:49:50 (21:58 average) over the 6,000-meter course. Harding showcased exceptional pack cohesion, registering a tight 36.1-second spread across its five scoring runners.
The Lady Bisons finished ahead of 10 teams in the final standings, including eight Division I programs: LSU New Orleans (981), FIU (1,000), Tarleton State (1,037), ULM (1,099), UTEP (1,127), Sam Houston (1,185), Abilene Christian (1,207), and Nicholls State (1,276). Harding also finished well clear of Great American Conference foe Henderson State (1,405) and NAIA contender Oklahoma City (1,036).
No. 6-ranked Arkansas captured the women's team crown with 101 points, edging runner-up Eastern Kentucky (122), Tulane in third (136), San Francisco in fourth (158), and Division II powerhouse Adams State in fifth (193). Eastern Kentucky's Edna Chelulei took the individual championship with a winning time of 18:42.2, followed by Arkansas' Isca Chelangat (18:46.1).
Winders led Harding across the line, finishing 182nd overall (169th team point) with a career-best 6K time of 21:42.8 (5:49.4 mile pace). Ruiz followed just two-tenths of a second later, crossing 184th overall (171st team point) at 21:43.0.
1st-year runner Harper Counts was the third Lady Bison across the finish, clocking 21:56.9 (5:53.2 pace) to place 208th overall (191st team point). Fellow 1st-year runner Elle Williamson finished 234th overall (212th team point) in 22:09.4.
4th-year runner Jessica Chappell completed Harding's scoring five, crossing in 259th overall (227th team point) with a mark of 22:18.9.
4th-year runner Marizenne Jonker finished just behind Chappell in 260th overall (228th team point; 22:19.2), while 1st-year runner Hailey Von Willer placed 310th overall (258th team point; 22:55.5) as Harding's displacers.
Also competing for the Lady Bisons were 3rd-year runner Zoe Williamson (318th, 23:02.3), 2nd-year runner Addison Lyles (320th, 23:04.5), 5th-year runner Kaia Bieker (323rd, 23:08.3), 3rd-year runner Abigail Penick (337th, 23:33.3), 1st-year runner Anna Stone (340th, 23:38.4), and 2nd-year runner McKellee Pape (358th, 23:58.8).
Friday's meet was Harding's final tune-up of the regular season. The Lady Bisons return to action on Saturday, Nov. 7, traveling to Shawnee, Oklahoma, to compete in the 2026 Great American Conference Cross Country Championships hosted by Oklahoma Baptist.
Team Standings (Top 10 & Harding Group of 46 Teams)
| Rank |
Team |
Score |
Total Time |
Average Time |
Scoring Order |
|
1
|
Arkansas
|
101
|
1:38:37
|
19:43
|
2-13-16-21-49 (75) (176)
|
|
2
|
Eastern Kentucky
|
122
|
1:38:14
|
19:38
|
1-3-7-48-63 (126) (136)
|
|
3
|
Tulane
|
136
|
1:40:11
|
20:02
|
8-11-34-41-42 (58) (76)
|
|
4
|
San Francisco
|
158
|
1:40:47
|
20:09
|
14-28-31-40-45 (55) (70)
|
|
5
|
Adams State
|
193
|
1:41:30
|
20:18
|
24-27-33-47-62 (84) (118)
|
|
6
|
Stephen F. Austin
|
215
|
1:41:32
|
20:18
|
17-20-35-71-72 (101) (137)
|
|
7
|
Texas A&M
|
230
|
1:41:58
|
20:23
|
22-25-44-61-78 (141)
|
|
8
|
LSU
|
260
|
1:41:48
|
20:21
|
9-10-39-85-117 (145) (221)
|
|
9
|
Tulsa
|
288
|
1:42:44
|
20:32
|
15-30-64-80-99 (105) (152)
|
|
10
|
Cal Poly
|
369
|
1:43:27
|
20:41
|
4-79-87-89-110 (151)
|
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
|
34
|
Lamar
|
917
|
1:50:33
|
22:06
|
37-128-223-241-288 (292) (303)
|
|
35
|
UTSA
|
919
|
1:49:31
|
21:54
|
32-188-210-233-256 (285) (291)
|
|
36
|
Harding
|
970
|
1:49:50
|
21:58
|
169-171-191-212-227 (228) (258)
|
|
37
|
LSU New Orleans
|
981
|
1:50:50
|
22:10
|
83-154-226-249-269 (281) (284)
|
|
38
|
FIU
|
1000
|
1:51:12
|
22:14
|
90-175-225-232-278 (279) (283)
|
|
39
|
Oklahoma City
|
1036
|
1:53:40
|
22:44
|
81-127-237-295-296
|
|
40
|
Tarleton State
|
1037
|
1:51:05
|
22:13
|
115-179-242-247-254 (271) (282)
|
|
41
|
ULM
|
1099
|
1:53:03
|
22:36
|
159-163-215-273-289 (300)
|
|
42
|
UTEP
|
1127
|
1:52:29
|
22:29
|
155-181-261-264-266 (276) (286)
|
|
43
|
Sam Houston
|
1185
|
1:53:00
|
22:36
|
202-208-251-257-267
|
|
44
|
Abilene Christian
|
1207
|
1:54:25
|
22:53
|
190-229-230-259-299 (301)
|
|
45
|
Nicholls State
|
1276
|
1:55:35
|
23:07
|
197-252-260-277-290 (293) (302)
|
|
46
|
Henderson State
|
1405
|
2:00:24
|
24:04
|
236-270-297-298-304
|
Harding Finishers
