Nicholls cross country women’s team wins home meet for first time in history

Nicholls gets to keep one of the trophies.

With second- and third-place finishes by Kassidy Besson and Maria Nikolaou, along with seven of the top 14 finishers, Nicholls’ women’s team captured the fifth Nicholls XC Invitational on Saturday morning in Thibodaux.

The Nicholls men’s team finished a close second to Texas A&M-Texarkana.

It marked the first time ever for a Nicholls team to win its home event.

The Nicholls finished first among the women with a team total of 29. Alcorn State, which had the top male and female individual winners in the event, took second with a total of 69.

Scores for the rest of the women’s field included Texas A&M-Texarkana, 76; Loyola, 97; Southern, 100, Dillard 156; and Xavier, 179.

Besson finished second with a time of 18:40.92 in the 5K event.

“I felt like for all of us, this race was kind of hard,” said Besson, a freshman out of Assumption High School. “I don’t know if it was the humidity and the allergies, but we were all struggling breathing, but I think as a team, we did really good today. We had a lot of time finishes. The girls really pushed. It’s a home meet and you want to do good in a home meet. I think today we did really good.

“I was really shooting for first this week, but I’m still pretty proud of myself for getting second. I think I did push pretty hard.”

“Kassidy wanted it,” Nicholls coach Stefanie Slekis said. “The Alcorn girl she got her at the LSU meet, but I think that girl got pulled out a little bit by LSU there. Kassidy had girls to kind of work with and catch up and close that gap. I think in a different scenario, it goes the other way again. She did really well on his course. She’s going to be really good.”

Nikolaou finished third in a time of 19:11.20.

Kalin Baratka placed sixth with a time of 19:41.52, while Issy Rivault finished ninth with a time of 20:09.35.

Also for Nicholls, Isabelle Seijlhhouwer finished 11th (time of 20:18.80); Sophia Harrison was 12th (20:22.94); and Avery Guidry 14th (20:54.78).

“The women, dream scenario,” Slekis said. “Obviously, we wanted the individual title. We could have gotten it, but Kassidy, Maria, Sophia, took it out from the beginning. Isabelle closed well. Issy, Avery, we just had all of them right there. Seven of the top 14 on the women’s side, I don’t think it gets much better than that – two in the top three.”

Texas A&M-Texarkana won the men’s four-mile race with a score of 46. Nicholls was second with a team score of 53.

Scores for the rest of the men’s field included Loyola, 73; Southern, 85; Alcorn 101; Southeastern Louisiana, 154; and Dillard, 195.

Individually, the top finisher for Nicholls was Lucas Futey with a time of 21:09.34, to take sixth place.

“I was pretty happy with my performance through the first 3k through half the race. I definitely started hurting a little the second half,” Futey said. “I had gotten eaten up by the pack a little bit and stopped closing in on the guys in front of me.

“I’m not sure if that was just due to training fatigue. In the past weeks, there have been some really big workouts, or heat, or a combination of both. Definitely not disappointed with the first half of the race, but definitely have a lot to improve in the second half.”

Goran Duijsters finished right behind Futey in seventh place with a time of 21:17.00.

Others to finish in the top 10 for Nicholls included: William Nizzo 10th (21:56.66); William Bellina 13th (21:53.17); Chase Walker 19th (22:15.55); and Thomas Saunders 20th (22.24.20).  

“Luke went after and tried to run in that top three but the guy from Alcorn is really good,” Slekis said. “He got himself a little over his head in that part, but still finished strong still.

“Goran moved through really well as the number two (runner for the Nicholls team). I was pleased with what they did. Obviously, they are going to be a little disappointed if we didn’t get the win. I think they got a little tougher today, a little bit better today, and really competed well as a team.”

Alcorn senior Stellah Kiptui of Kenya, East Africa, was the individual winner for the women with a time of 18:22.65.

“This is my first time here. I knew I would win because the course is really good. It’s really nice. I was ready enough to win this race today,” Kiptui said.

Following Besson and Nikolaou, rounding out the top five were Teresa Gallegos of Alcorn in fourth place with a time of 19:26.35, and Madisyn Acosta of Loyola in fifth with a time of 19:38.27.

Alcorn freshman Kelvin Kipkemboi, also from Kenya, placed first among the men with a time of 19:50.77.

“The coaches we have, the chemistry is very good. The training we have been through, I’m really enjoying and that’s why we had these results,” said Kipkemboi.

Rounding out the top five among the men were: Charles Dorsett of Texas A&M-Texarkana (20:33.86); Alocius Kipngetich of Alcorn (20:53.46); Jacob Kennedy of Loyola (21:01.02); and Shea Johnson of Texas A&M-Texarkana (21:05.42).

Along with winning the event, Kipkemboi said The Farm had the best course he has run so far in his young career.

“It was two courses (he has run in) before this one, but it’s the best of all. The course is good. The people were leading us, they were showing me directions very clearly. This is the best course I have been in America,” Kipkemboi.

Those were welcome words for Slekis.

“That’s awesome,” Slekis said. “That’s one of the things we talk about is just creating a great experience here. I take a lot of pride in hosting a great cross country meet. I love having a home course. When I got to Nicholls, I wanted to host a meet.

“We have a home venue that’s beautiful. People coming and say this is their favorite course of the year so far, that’s what we want. We want to win as a team, but we want people to come here love competing here.”