Cross Country hits the ground running

(PHOTO/ Troy Athletics) A pack of Troy runners competes at the Azalea City Classic last season. The Troy cross country team preps for the Classic once again on Friday, Sept. 6 in Mobile.Hanna Cooper The Troy women’s cross-country team finished second while the men finished fifth at the JSU Struts Season Opener to kick off the 2019 season on Friday. The women took off on their 4k trek to kick start the race. Freshman Cadi Rowe paced the Trojans who finished second in 14:45:90. Caroline Sall and Macki Walsh followed Rowe with sixth and seventh place finishes, respectively, to give Troy three top-ten finishes on the women’s side. The duo took seventh and eighth place in the JSU Struts Season Opener last season. The women tallied 48 total points to bring home second place for the second consecutive year. “I was happy with the women’s team from top to bottom,” head coach Elliot Blount said. “Cadi Rowe was our top finisher today; she ran a very savvy race, and for a freshman, that’s very promising. “We have plenty to build on heading into the Azalea City Classic.” For the men, Troy tallied 150 points to earn a fifth-place finish. After graduating the top two runners from last season, senior Bradley Dixon stepped up and led the Trojans with a ninth-place finish in 15:46:50, his best finish since the senior placed fifth at the JSU Foothills Invitational in 2017. Freshman Silas Franklin was the Trojans second-highest finisher with a 25th-place finish in 16:10:50. “We have a way to go to get this men’s group competing at a level on par with the Sun Belt Conference,” Blount said. “We had a strong showing from our freshman and Bradley, but we need the upperclassmen to come around quickly.” The Trojans will be back in action next Friday, Sept. 6 at the Azalea City Classic in Mobile.