ALBANY, Ga. – The Albany State University women's cross country team returns to action Friday, Sept. 11, as the Lady Golden Rams compete on their home course at the Willie Laster Invitational at Radium Springs Park.
The meet is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., giving Albany State an opportunity to compete in front of its home supporters after opening the 2026 season on the road last weekend.
Albany State enters the Willie Laster Invitational with momentum following a strong season-opening performance at the Julius Johnson Invitational hosted by Mercer University. The Lady Golden Rams placed fourth among nine scoring teams, finishing with 104 points and an average time of 22:11.
Sophomore Brea Vann led the Lady Golden Rams with an impressive season debut, finishing eighth overall with a time of 20:36.13. Vann was the first NCAA Division II runner to cross the finish line, finishing behind only seven runners from Division I Mercer. Her strong opening performance helped set the pace for Albany State's fourth-place team finish.
Faith Thompson added another strong performance for Albany State, placing 14th overall with a time of 21:34.00. Fellow sophomore Sydney Haywood gave the Lady Golden Rams three runners inside the top 20, crossing the finish line in 22:04.12 to place 19th.
Freshman Jehzaria Middleton also made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut, recording a time of 22:32.38 and finishing 28th overall. Je'Nya Harrison followed with a time of 24:12.03, while senior Jayda Spikes crossed the line in 24:16.04.
Charity Tukes finished in 24:30.05, followed by Zahriya Sullivan with a time of 24:42.03. Gabrielle Dillard finished her season opener in 27:19.99, while Mya Parks rounded out the Albany State finishers with a time of 33:10.75.
Friday's home meet provides another opportunity for Head Cross Country Coach Robert Smith and the Lady Golden Rams to build on their opening performance as the program continues its pursuit of a third consecutive SIAC Championship. Albany State entered the season as the back-to-back conference champion and returned several runners with championship experience, including Spikes, Vann, Thompson and Haywood.
After placing three runners inside the top 20 in the season opener, the Lady Golden Rams will look to continue building consistency throughout the lineup while taking advantage of the opportunity to race in front of the Albany State community.
The Willie Laster Invitational will take place Friday, Sept. 11, at Radium Springs Park in Albany, Georgia, with competition beginning at 6 p.m.
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ABOUT ALBANY STATE ATHLETICS
Albany State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II-level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 12 sports: women's volleyball, women's tennis, women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, softball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, and football, with all teams competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
