Morgan State Women’s Cross Country Places 12th at Richmond Invitational
By Brian Hradsky
The Morgan State women’s cross country team faced a deep field Friday morning at the Richmond Invitational, finishing 12th overall at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Virginia. The Lady Bears finished the 6K competition with 387 team points, with sophomore Kennedi Green leading Morgan State across the finish line.
Elon captured the Richmond Invitational team championship with 42 points. George Washington and host Richmond tied for second with 77 points, while High Point finished fourth with 104 and Davidson rounded out the top five with 149. Morgan State finished ahead of Bridgewater and Bryant & Stratton in the 14-team field.
Green Leads the Lady Bears
Green was Morgan State’s top finisher, completing the 6K course in 26:13.6 to place 111th overall. Senior Crystal Coke was right behind her, crossing the line in 26:33.7 for 112th place. The two Morgan State runners were separated by just 20.1 seconds.
Freshman Rhian Jeffries was Morgan State’s third runner across the finish line. Jeffries placed 115th with a time of 26:51.7, giving the Lady Bears three finishers within less than 40 seconds of one another.
Sophomore Aiana Showell finished 124th with a time of 30:06.1, while freshman Jahniya Barclay completed Morgan State’s lineup in 31:07.1.
A Tougher Test for Morgan State
The Richmond Invitational represented a significant step up in competition after Morgan State’s strong showing at the UMES Soaring Hawks Invitational on Sept. 19. The Lady Bears won that meet with 29 points, led by Coke, who captured the individual championship in 21:24.86. Jeffries finished second at UMES, while Green, Showell and Barclay also earned top-10 finishes.
Coke’s performance at UMES also earned her MEAC Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week honors. The senior entered Richmond as one of Morgan State’s top runners, but Green took the lead for the Lady Bears against the larger Richmond field.
Head coach Neville Hodge described the Richmond meet as an important test for a young Morgan State roster. Hodge said the Bears competed but also learned that they need to finish races stronger as they continue preparing for the MEAC Cross Country Championship.
That experience could be valuable later in the season. Morgan State has several underclassmen playing important roles, including Green, Jeffries, Showell and Barclay, while Coke provides senior leadership at the front of the lineup.
What’s Next
Morgan State will have another opportunity to continue its development when the Lady Bears travel to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for the Aubrey Shenk Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 17. The meet will be hosted by Gettysburg College.
With the MEAC Championship looming later in the season, Morgan State will look to use the next meet to tighten the gaps between its scoring runners and build on what the team learned against a strong Richmond Invitational field.
MSB Take
Morgan State’s 12th-place finish does not tell the entire story of Friday’s race. The Richmond Invitational featured considerably deeper competition than the Lady Bears faced during their team victory at UMES, giving a young Morgan State lineup an opportunity to see where it stands against a broader field.
Green taking the lead was an encouraging development, while Coke and Jeffries remained close behind her. Morgan State now has multiple runners who have shown the ability to lead the lineup, something that could become increasingly important as the Bears prepare for championship season.
The next objective is closing the distance throughout the rest of the lineup. If Morgan State can combine the front-running ability it displayed at UMES with improved depth and stronger finishes, the Lady Bears should have a much clearer picture of their championship form after the Aubrey Shenk Invitational.
