KENNESAW, Ga. - KSU junior Mackenzie Howe followed up a great opening week performance with yet another, winning the UTC PowerAde Invitational in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a time of 11:15 in the 2-mile race. The reigning Atlantic Sun Conference Runner of the Week won two consecutive meets for the first time in her collegiate career, leading the Owls to a third place finish overall in the meet hosted by University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Owl senior Britany Reilly would post her second straight top-ten performance, finishing in eighth position with a time of 12:16. She was followed by Caitlin German, Lorena Jaime, and Soibhan Wolcott, who finished 12th, 16th, and 19th, respectively, to round out the scoring for the Owls.

“The course was in very good condition, it was really conducive to good competition,” Wolcott, a senior, said. “Caitlin, Lorena, and I ran together for the most part, which helped us to push each other and work together. Teamwork at a meet like this can really motivate you to do your best.”

Head coach Stan Sims was happy with how some of his runners performed, but understands that there’s still a lot of work to be done before the conference meet.

“I thought Caitlin German ran really well today. Britany Reilly was a little behind on her one-mile split, but she showed her perseverance and picked it up at the end,” Sims commented. “The competition was a little stiffer this week, and it really showed us that we have to improve. We’ll all keep working hard and hopefully we’ll be able to get to where we need to be.”

Middle Tennessee State finished first overall, with three of their runners finishing in the top-seven. Reilly understands that if the Owls are to take the next step competitively, they will need to have strong performances behind Howe.

“We’re working on closing the gap between Mackenzie and ourselves. It’s the beginning of the season, so we’ll use these first two races as learning experiences.”

The Owls will continue the season next Friday, when they travel to Tuscaloosa to take part in the Crimson Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama. The meet, a 5k, will also serve as a preview of the NCAA South Region Championship. The women’s race will begin at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.

Individual Results:

1. Mackenzie Howe- 11:15

8. Britany Reilly - 12:16

11. Caitlin German-12:31

13. Kristen Gibson- 12:37

15. Lorena Jaime- 12:53

18. Soibhan Wolcott- 13:03

19. Katie Charles- 13:18

35. Brittany Robinson- 15:38

Team Results:

1. Middle Tennessee State- 41

2. Chattanooga- 42

3. Kennesaw State- 48

4. Mercer- 98

5. Tennessee State- 150