MEMPHIS, Tenn. - With exceptional races from
Tucker Wright and
Brooks Johnson, Berry's men's cross country team earned a strong second-place finish at the Rhodes Cross Country Invitational, outpacing their conference rivals in the process.
The Vikings posted a low team score of 66, only falling behind Mississippi College, who led the field with a winning score of 49 points. Berry's average pace for their top five scoring runners was a mere 26:07 over the eight kilometers.
The nearest conference rival to challenge a spot on the podium was Oglethorpe, but their runners could not match the pace of Berry's men in white and navy blue. The Stormy Petrels claimed fourth place, falling 63 points behind the Vikings. Other Southern Athletic Association (SAA) foes entered in the contest included Centre, Rhodes, and Hendrix who placed ninth, 13th, and 16th, respectively.
Sophomore Wright paved the way for his teammates with an individual third place finish on the day. The first year Viking will be a crucial weapon in head coach
Paul Deaton's arsenal as they continue through the season. The Rome native posted a personal best, crossing the finish line in a mere 25:24.5.
As a freshman, Johnson never cracked into the Vikings' top five in any competition, but by trusting Deaton's process, the Augusta native delivered for his team with a breakout performance. Finishing in 13th place, Johnson was the third Viking to turn in his timing chip in Memphis. Not only was the sophomore a vital piece in Berry's success, but he also shattered his personal record by over a minute with a time of 26:14.2.
Other contributing Berry members included
Ethan Smith. The junior is not a stranger to the pressures that come with consistently cracking top five team placement. Today was not any different. Smith, the second man to cross the finish line for the white and navy blue team, achieved a 10th place individual placement with a time of 25:57.8.
Rounding out the countable scores,
Troy Blackwood and
Peter Ivester claimed 19th and 21st, respectively. Ivester, a senior, ran the 8k in 26:32.1, less than 10 seconds away from collecting a new personal record.
The Vikings will remain idle until Oct. 5 when they travel eight hours to Clinton, Mississippi to compete at the Belhaven Cross Country Invitational. The gun will go off at 9:00 a.m. CST.
