For the second time this college cross country season, former Mansfield products Darby Jones and Katlynn Moore have crossed paths. Presently running for different university teams, the two have now landed in each other’s new backyards for distance racing competition.
To open the 2022 season, Moore made her way to Jones’ new digs at Ouachita Baptist University as the Purple Tigers hosted their home meet. On Saturday, October 8 the reverse was true as Jones dropped into the University of the Ozarks Eagle’s nest for Moore’s home opener.
“This was a day I had marked on my calendar for a long time,” said John Mackey, the pair’s former high school coach in Mansfield. “Ozarks Collegiate Invitational was supposed to have had all of Mansfield’s current college runners in the same race. UA Rich Mountain pulled out and ran the Chile Pepper instead. So, the twins (Faith and Hope Rainwater) didn’t get to go.”
Mansfield’s high school cross country coach did get to see two of the four prized pupils off of last season’s Class 2A state runner-up team. Jones, now a Ouachita Baptist Tiger out of Arkadelphia, and Moore, now at U. of O. in Clarksville did get to run.
Jones posted her best collegiate time to date with a 22:43.7 at the Clarksville based 5K course. The measure which landed her in 31st place overall was a minute and 40 seconds faster than her recent trip to the Argonaut Invitational in Pensacola, FL.
“The course in Pensacola was pretty tough,” admitted Jones as the player and coach caught up before Saturday’s race. “It was a lot like running in Arkansas through the trees and such but then there would be these random sand dunes you had to run through.”
“The Ouachita track team got to go with us,” continued Jones. “They lined up along the finish line and cheered us on. The next day we got to spend the day on the beach. It was pretty cool.”
The scenery in Clarksville was a little different. No sand dunes to speak of but plenty of trees did line the upper ridge of the course. The lower field and finish didn’t have track teammates in attendance but it was populated by the familiar faces of Arkansas family and friends.
Perhaps a few ghosts of runners past greeted the players as well. A sinister site of several old abandoned running shoes tied along the fence leading to Clarksville’s course greeted the participants and fans.
“I think that’s been a tradition here for a long time,” said Moore, a freshman for the University of the Ozarks. “Some of the mud runs in the past sucked those shoes right off. They ended up hanging on the fence rail, and the habit stuck.”
Moore finished 63rd overall. Her time was a pedestrian 27:54.2 which admittedly disappointed the Mansfield native.
“We lost our coach a couple of weeks ago,” confessed Moore. “Her husband got a job out of state and their family made the decision to move. Our practices have been a little inconsistent so I wasn’t at my best.”
According to Mansfield’s coach, the inconvenience of finding an interim coach in the middle of the season can’t be of benefit to the Eagle lineup.
“It has to hurt,” shared Mackey. “I believe Ozarks have their conference coming up in a few weeks. My hope is Kat and Darby both find their best pace heading towards the postseason. I’m proud these two are representing what’s possible for Mansfield runners in the future.”
Ouachita easily won the overall women’s title. Six of their runners landed inside the top ten for a near perfect score of 23 points. Ozarks dropped to sixth in the team standings.
