Liberty Women's XC Posts 2nd Top-10 Finish of the Day

Showcasing its team depth, the Liberty women's cross country squad posted its second top-10 finish of the day at Friday's Queen City Invite. The Lady Flames came in eighth of 39 teams during the meet contested at McAlpine Creek Park.

The Lady Flames totaled 257 points to defeat ASUN Conference foe Stetson for the second straight meet. The Hatters came in 11^th overall with 289 points.

Junior team captain Lauren Hirneisen paced Liberty with a 35^th-place finish out of 316 runners in a 5K time of 19:04.

Earlier in the day, 11 of the Lady Flames' teammates had raced at the Virginia/Panorama Farms Invitational, producing a fifth-place team finish.

Women's Team Results (39 Total Teams):
1) James Madison - 41
2) Milligan - 86
3) College of Charleston - 165
4) Flagler – 166
5) North Georgia – 186
8) Liberty - 257

Women's 5K Individual Results (316 Total Finishers):
1) Micah Weathers, Augusta – 18:01
2) Stellah Kiptui, Benedict – 18:13
3) Brooke Manion, James Madison – 18:15
4) Gabrielle Mardis, Milligan – 18:16
5) Janet Kwambai, Lenoir-Rhyne – 18:19
35) Lauren Hirneisen, Liberty – 19:04
47) Chelsea Stocki, Liberty – 19:19
61) Vivian Reed, Liberty – 19:34
63) Rebekah Leone, Liberty – 19:37
66) Sophia Jantomaso, Liberty – 19:43
74) Heidi Smith, Liberty – 19:50
93) Lauren Peurifoy, Liberty – 20:18
109) Courtney Alexander, Liberty – 20:31
126) Emma Zealand, Liberty – 20:50

Race Reactions
• Freshman Vivian Reed and redshirt sophomore Heidi Smith both made their 2019 season debuts at the Queen City Invite, becoming the 23^rd and 24^th different Lady Flames to compete this fall.

• Reed's time of 19:34 was faster than any cross country 5K she completed during her time at Colgan High School.

• 2018 All-ASUN performer Hirneisen ran the 5K 2:21 faster than she had three weeks earlier at the FGCU Invitational.   

Up Next
Liberty will only compete once during the month of October. The Flames and Lady Flames will head to Terre Haute, Ind., for the Pre-National Invitational on Oct. 19. The meet will be contested at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, site of the 2019 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.