Lady Hornets compete in massive Chile Pepper Festival

FAYETTEVILLE — In an extremely crowded field of 81 teams with additional runners competing individually, 630 runners in just the “El Caliente” division, it was extremely challenging for the Bryant Lady Hornets cross country team at the annual Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival at Agri Park on the campus of the University of Arkansas on Saturday.

The Festival included teams from around the area, from several different states.

The Lady Hornets finished 66^th as a team with 1775 points. They were 12^th among Arkansas schools.

Bryant was led by Jillian Colclasure who ran a 22:31.0 to finish 300^th. Madison Dettmer was 357^th in a time of 22:57.3. 

The rest of the Lady Hornets eight runners at the meet were McKenzie Hicks (24:18.9, 467^th), Lauren Heath (24:33.4, 478^th), Olivia Orr (24:33.7, 479^th), MacKenzie Moore (24:36.1, 484^th), Margo Gilliland (25:11.9, 514^th) and Kennedy McGuire (25:14.5, 515^th).

In the junior girls’ 2-mile, which featured 635 runners from 42 teams and several schools without enough to qualify for team scores, Bryant was seventh with 233 points.

Mariela Ocana, a freshman, paced the Lady Hornets with a 35^th finish in a time of 13:16.1. Eighth-grader Aidan Fisher was 45^th in 13:28.5 and Gracie Taylor, also in eighth grade, placed 52^nd in 13:35.9.

The Bryant contingent also included Adalynn Mellon (94^th, 14:07.9), Gracie Rocha (104^th, 14:11.7), Haley Avila (156^th, 14:42.7), Ashleigh Byles (181^st, 14:51.4), Destiny Galindo (186^th, 14:54.0), Maddie Nelson (212^th, 15:10.1) and Ainsley Warford (235^th, 15:21.9).

Up next for Bryant will be their lone home meet, the Danny Westbrook Invitational, at Bishop Park on Saturday, Oct. 12.