Girard wraps up cross country season at NCAA Championships

MADISON, Wisc. -- Battling the top cross country athletes from around Division I and near-freezing conditions on the course (plus two inches of snow), Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi senior Allyson Girard put together a sturdy performance Saturday morning at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, closing out the season for the Islanders with a 191st-place finish. Girard, a staple among the top of the leaderboard all year, was unable to outpace many of the nation's best runners, notching a 21:24.2 time that ranked just over two minutes behind the leader (Dani Jones, Colorado).

Since joining the program following her transfer from Mesa Community College, Girard has improved at a near-exponential rate under the guidance of head coach Brent Ericksen, cutting her long distance time down approximately two minutes. This year alone, the senior earned her first-ever collegiate individual victory (McNeese Cowboy Stampede, Sept. 29), a Southland Conference individual and team championship (Southland Conference Championships, Oct. 26) and a qualifying individual bid to the NCAA Cross Country Championships (South Central Regional, Nov. 9).

Next up for the Islanders' Track & Field/Cross Country program: the Indoor season, set to begin early January 2019.

For more information on Islanders Cross Country, follow the team on Twitter (@IslandersTFXC), Instagram (@IslandersTFXC) and like their Facebook page (Islanders Track & Field/Cross Country).