NEW ORLEANS, La. - Nia Clatworthy and Freddy Richardson each had podium finishes for the Lamar University men's and women's cross country teams as Clatworthy led the women to the 2024 Southland Conference title. The meet, which was hosted by New Orleans at Lake Oak Park, saw the LU women repeat in the 6k by scoring 43 points, outdistancing second place Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The men's team took sixth place in the 8k race with 146 points.

LU's women had three runners finish in the top eight led by Clatworthy. The Porthcawl, Wales native was in contention to repeat as individual champion and led the race after 4,000 meters. In the end, Clatworthy placed second overall at 20:35.47, trailing only the individual champion Elizabeth Khatevi (Corpus Christi; 20:30.98) by just five seconds. Cara Inch placed sixth at 21:16.19 as she and Clatworthy would receive SLC first team honors.

Inca Padfield (21:34.83), who would be tabbed as SLC Newcomer of the Year, completed her race in eighth and earned second team honors along with Emma Powell (13th; 22:10.92) and Annabel Hobday (14th; 22:15.35). Mykayla Mims (22:49.08) and Ashton Rainey (22:50.40) placed 27th and 28th respectively while Anna Eischen (48th; 24:05.03), Eleana Campos (68th; 25:27.77) and Natalee Bergeron (74th; 25:57.07) finished out the women's meet.

Head coach Andrew Sweeney would earn his second straight SLC Coach of the Year award for guiding the women to a second straight conference title.

For Trey Clark, the director of track and field and cross country, this marks the 20th SLC title he has brought to LU. Twenty years ago today, Clark won his first conference title at LU when the women's cross country team defeated Stephen F. Austin by 13 points on Nov. 1, 2004.

On the men's side, Richardson crossed the line in second at 24:41.65 to collect a first-team honor. Lloyd Sheppard-Brown earned a second-team nod after he clocked in at 25:29.95 (11th). Riley Trent (46th; 27:19.20), Adrian Hahn Vadstein (47th; 27:30.62), and Alexis Rodriguez (49th; 27:32.35) landed in the top 50 while Andres Padron (27:44.38) Brian Woolums (27:52.63), and Treyron Showen (28:14.3) closed out the meet 53rd, 56th, and 61st respectively.

The 8K race was won by Elkana Kipruto (Stephen F. Austin), who finished with a time of 24:28.90 while UIW was the team champion with 29 points.

The Cardinals' season will continue in two weeks as they will make their way back to College Station for the NCAA Regional Championships.
 

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