(August 30, 2025) Conway, Arkansas - Coming off a Region 2 Championship last season for their fourth region championship, the Bucks are looking to repeat in 2025. The ladies return only one sophomore in 2024 NJCAA All-American Darcy Vineyard (Claremore, OK) from their 2024 team, but she is surrounded by four freshmen looking to pick-up the slack. The Bucks started their season at their usual race at the end of August at Beaver Fork Lake in the UCA Bear Invitational.

The ladies competed against NCAA DI competition. The Bucks were the only NJCAA school in the 5K race and finished third overall.

Darcy Vineyard  led the way for the Bucks and finished 15th overall with a personal record of 18:45.27 in her first race of her sophomore year. It also broke her own school record that she set last year at the Region 2 Championship. 

Ellie Taylor (Atkins, AR), Averie Dunn (Kingston, AR), and Katelynn Foster (Mena, AR) finished next for the Bucks in 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, respectively. In their college debut, Taylor ran a 20:53.97, while Dunn ran a 21:42.32. Foster finished with a 22:38.31. 

Nicole Echeverria (Rogers, AR) rounded out the Bucks finishers with a 23:20.96 and finished 27th overall. 

All of the ladies set personal records on Saturday to kickoff the 2025 season.

Complete race results can be found here >>> https://milesplit.live/meets/699456/events/2/results/F/F. 

The ladies compete again next week at the UT Tyler XC Open on Saturday, September 6th.

#DefendTheMountain