CARMEL, Ind. (10/30/2021) -- Led by a pair of upperclassmen who earned All-Horizon League honors in graduate senior Rebecca Arnold and junior Allison Sherman, the University of Detroit Mercy women's cross country team persevered and worked hard to take fifth at the Horizon League cross country championships on Saturday. 

The short-handed Titans - who had only five runners in the race due to injuries - would collectively finish tied for fifth with 171 points on the 6k Northview Church Course in Carmel, Indiana.

"What a great finish for us," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Guy Murray '89. "We have had some challenges this year, but the group has been consistent at just getting their work in and it paid off. We got out and put ourselves in spots to give us a chance and really raced well to get one of our best team finishes in a while."

With Arnold and Sherman earning Horizon League Second-Team honors, it marks just the eighth time in school history and the first since 2015 that the Titans have had two All-HL runners. 

Arnold - who was not a member of the cross country team when she first arrived at Detroit Mercy - posted a career-best 23:28 for 10th place.

"Rebecca volunteered to move up to cross country a few years back and she has put the miles in and her last loop of the course moving into the top 10 shows she has made herself a very good distance runner," said coach Murray. "well-deserved spot in the All-HL team."

Sherman was right there in the front with Arnold all race long and took 14th in her career 6k-best of 23:32. 

"Allison races tough and she did a great job despite not being 100 percent today," said coach Murray. "She got out and really battled today for her second All-HL honor."

Junior Kaitlin Murray was 36th overall in 24:22, while freshman Evie Wright ran 24:36 for 41st, all while battling a foot injury.

"Kaitlin was really a PR today as her low 6k time was on a shorter course and Evie was conservative at the start and decided her foot was ok and she passed a ton of people, which helped us climb to fifth," added coach Murray. 

Junior Josie Arnold was the last Titan in as she was 95th in 27:33 in just her second race of the year due to injury, but her run allowed the Titans to score as a team and place fifth.  

The Titans will now get ready for their second postseason event in the NCAA Great Lakes Regionals, held in Evansville, Indiana, on Nov. 12.