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Women's Cross Country

Women’s Cross Country Makes History at 2023 NCAA DI WXC National Championships

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Lipscomb women's cross country capped off their historic 2023 season with an incredible performance at the 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country National Championships. The Bisons turned in incredible times to finish 11th overall out of 31 teams in competition in their first team appearance on the national stage. Lydia Miller led the Herd across the line with her 38th overall finish, earning her the program's first ever NCAA Division I Cross Country All-American title.
 
"It was an incredible team performance for the women today," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Nick Polk. "The ladies exceeded our expectations and executed the plan really well."
 
The Bisons hit the course early Saturday morning in Charlottesville, Va. as the stage was set for the 2023 NCAA National Championships at the picturesque Panorama Farms Cross Country Course. Things kicked off at 9:20am CT on a bright and sunny day in Virginia.
 
The Bisons got off to a bit of a slow start off the starting gun, coming in at 29th at the 1,000m split with Kiara Carter at the front of the Herd as the 150th runner to cross the first split with a time of 3:06.1 for the first kilometer.
 
Lipscomb's squad quickly found their stride, however, and the Purple and Gold moved up to rank 18th as a team through the 2,000m split. Lydia Miller took over as the squad's front-runner as she passed 57 people to be the 100th runner across the second split marker with a 6:30.4 time while Carter moved up to be the 108th runner across the mark.
 
The Purple and Gold moved up again to be the 16th team through the 3,000m split as Miller powered ahead to be the 84th runner across the third split of the race with a 9:59.0 time through the first three kilometers. Behing Miller and Carter, Liza Corso, Harley Kletz, and Mackenzie Barnett continued to climb for the Bisons, moving up through the ranks to clock in at 133rd, 136th, and 141st respectively across the third split.
 
As the second half of the race began, the Bisons continued to push their pace, clocking in at 15th as a team through the 4,000m mark. Miller and Carter moved up into the top-75 as the 70th and 73rd runners to reach four kilometers.
 
Miller began to pull away from the rest of the Herd as through the final split, blazing up through the field to clock in as the 50th runner to cross the 5,000m split. The Bisons made a strong push ahead of the final kilometer as they combined to drop 41 points to move up into 13th place through the fifth kilometer of the race.
 
With the finish line in sight after the final hill, the Bisons put the burners on one last time and all made strong pushes through the final 1,000m to record impressive finishes for the squad's first time competing on the national stage together.
 
Lydia Miller found another gear and broke into the top-40 to finish 38th out of 247 runners with a time of 20:06.3 through six kilometers, claiming the highest individual finish and earning the first All-American title of any Lipscomb runner in the NCAA DI National Championships.
 
Mackenzie Barnett turned in a huge push in the last 1,000m, passing 24 other runners and clocking in as the 81st runner to the finish line with a time of 20:33.1. Colbi Borland was the next Bison to the line, moving up 16 places to cross the finish 107th overall with a time of 20:43.8 to add 81 points to the Bisons' total.
 
Kiara Carter crossed the line next for Lipscomb, coming in 117th overall with a 20:48.1 after six kilometers. Freshman Harley Kletz made a strong showing through the final 1,000m, passing seven competitors and finishing 122nd overall to round out the Bisons' scoring group as she added 94 points to the squad's total.
 
Liza Corso completed a strong race with a 138th overall finish and a time of 20:56.0 through the finish line. Ellie Brewer rounded out the Bisons' first ever showing at the NCAA National Championship meet with a time of 21:17.6 to finish 188th overall.
 
The Bisons combined for 353 points to finish 11th overall out of 31 teams competing on Saturday, just 18 points behind 10th-place finishing Oregon in their first showing at the National Championships. With their finish, the Bisons make their mark in ASUN history as the best finish by an ASUN women's cross country team and the lowest score by and ASUN women's cross country team at the National Championships, surpassing both former records set by Liberty in the spring of 2021 for 26th and 611 points, respectively.
 
Miller and Barnett both surpassed the former program record for highest individual finish at the Cross Country National Championships, set in 2022 by Miller with her 96th place finish. Barnett now holds the fifth-highest individual finish by an ASUN women's cross country runner at the National Champtionships and Miller now boasts the second-highest individual finish by an ASUN women's cross country runner at the National Championships, the second-best time by an ASUN women's cross country runner at the National Championships, and is the conference's second ever women's cross country All-American.
 
"We're very thankful to have the opportunity to compete amongst the best in the NCAA," finished Coach Polk.
 
FULL 2023 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
FULL LIPSCOMB RESULTS
38. Lydia Miller 20:06.3
81. Mackenzie Barnett 20:33.1
107. Colbi Borland 20:43.8
117. Kiara Carter 20:48.1
122. Harley Kletz 20:49.8
138. Liza Corso. 20:56.0
180. Ellie Brewer 21:17.6
 
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Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Barnett

Mackenzie Barnett

5' 2"
Sophomore
Colbi Borland

Colbi Borland

5' 4"
Sophomore
Kiara Smeltz

Kiara Smeltz

5' 5"
Sophomore
Liza Corso

Liza Corso

5' 6"
Sophomore
Lydia Miller

Lydia Miller

5' 6"
Sophomore
Ellie Brewer

Ellie Brewer

Sophomore
Harley Kletz

Harley Kletz

5' 2"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Barnett

Mackenzie Barnett

5' 2"
Sophomore
Colbi Borland

Colbi Borland

5' 4"
Sophomore
Kiara Smeltz

Kiara Smeltz

5' 5"
Sophomore
Liza Corso

Liza Corso

5' 6"
Sophomore
Lydia Miller

Lydia Miller

5' 6"
Sophomore
Ellie Brewer

Ellie Brewer

Sophomore
Harley Kletz

Harley Kletz

5' 2"
Freshman
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