HUNTSVILLE, Ala. | The Alabama A&M University women's cross country team placed five runners among the top 20 as the Bulldogs captured the team title in the women's 5K Open at the Southern Showcase on Friday.
 
Alabama A&M finished with 48 points to comfortably claim first place in the 26-team field. Pima Community College was second with 72 points, while Carson-Newman (114), UT Southern (156) and William Carey (181) rounded out the top five.
 
Senior Laura Avila, who was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week, once again paced the Bulldogs, crossing the finish line fourth overall in 18 minutes, 56.1 seconds. Avila was the third scoring runner after unattached competitor Juane Klaus finished third.
 
Senior Minka Isom followed closely behind, placing sixth overall in 19:09.5. Alabama A&M then received a ninth-place performance from senior Sanyae Gibson, who posted a time of 19:21.2.
 
The Bulldogs continued to pack the front of the field with senior Mariana Bentacourt-Dennard finishing 17th in 19:34.3 and freshman Iyndia Bey placing 19th in 19:39.3. Those five runners accounted for Alabama A&M's scoring positions of 3, 5, 8, 15 and 17 to give the Bulldogs 48 points.
 
Freshman Leila Sollas also competed for Alabama A&M, finishing 86th overall with a time of 21:56.7.
 
The Bulldogs' depth proved decisive. All five Alabama A&M scorers finished before Pima Community College's fifth scoring runner, while AAMU placed five runners in the top 19 overall. The Bulldogs' 48-point total gave them a 24-point victory over runner-up Pima.
 
Alabama A&M's victory continued a strong September for the Bulldogs after capturing the team championship at the Legacy Series Invite on Sept. 11.
 
The Maroon & White return to the course on Friday, Oct. 3 as the Bulldogs compete in the Louisville Classic. Action begins at 9 a.m.
 
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