Rodriguez-Sala Makes School History At League Championships

Saturday, October 31

Greenville, N.C.

University of Memphis

American Athletic Conference Championships

Martina Rodriguez Sala, 2015 Women's Cross Country

Photo by: Steve Austell

Rodriguez-Sala Makes School History At League Championships

Oct 31, 2015 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Junior leads team to best conference meet finish since 1991.

GRIMESLAND, N.C. – Junior Martina Rodriquez-Sala made University of Memphis women's cross country history Saturday when she crossed the finish line in fourth place at the 2015 American Athletic Conference Championships, hosted by East Carolina.

Rodriguez-Sala placed fourth in the women's 6k race in a time of 20:36.65, and her fourth-place finish is the best performance by a Tigers women's runner at a conference championship meet in school history. The previous best finish by a women's runner at a league meet was Danielle Riendeau's sixth-place showing at the 2005 Conference USA Championships.

Rodriquez-Sala's 6k time of 20:36.65 at Saturday's meet was a personal best. Her previous best 6k time of 20:41.2 came at the 2014 NCAA South Regional.

With her fourth-place finish, Rodriquez-Sala earned All-American Athletic Conference honors. It is the second conference postseason cross country award for Rodriguez-Sala, as she also earned All-American Athletic Conference recognition with her 15^th-place performance at the 2013 league meet.

Rodriguez-Sala led the women's squad to a sixth-place team finish at The American Championships. The Memphis women's sixth-place finish was the program's best showing at a league meet since 1991 when the Tigers were fifth at the Great Midwest Conference Championships.

Junior Abigail Tankersley and sophomore Chelsea Ladd were the Tigers' next two finishers. Tankersley crossed the finish line in 32^nd-place (21:58.69), and Ladd was 38^th (22:15.63).

Sophomore Kristen Adams, a 2014 All-American Athletic Conference honoree, did not run due to injury. She placed 13^th at the 2014 league championships.

On the men's side, senior Corentin Louis paced the injury-riddled Tigers with a 25^th-place finish in the league's 8k race. He crossed the line in a time of 24:55.26. Sophomore Brock Ballard and freshman Kaleb Simington were the team's next two finishers. Ballard was 46^th (25:50.59), and Simington placed 48^th (25:57.5). Ballard's 8k time Saturday was a personal best.

The Tigers men's team placed ninth. Memphis competed without two of its top runners in senior Stephen Tankersley and freshman Diego Lara Delgado, both of whom missed the meet with injuries.

Tulsa swept the men's and women's conference team titles.

The Memphis men's and women's squads return to action Nov. 13 when they run in the NCAA South Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Memphis Individual Results

Women (top 5 count in team score) – 6^th (score of 185)
4.            Martina Rodriguez Sala                  20:36.65
32.          Abigail Tankersley 21:58.69
38.          Chelsea Ladd 22:15.63
49.          Megan Briley 22:36.48
62.          Meghan Christensen                      23:02.78
66.          Melinda Murdock 23:14.60
74.          Lauren Wheeler 23:41.43

Men (top 5 count in team score) – 9^th (score of 230)
25.          Corentin Louis 24:55.26
46.          Brock Ballard 25:50.59
48.          Kaleb Simington 25:57.50
53.          James Durkin 26:21.51
58.          Brandon Keys 26:58.46
62.          Godfrey Fayne Jr. 27:26.86
63.          Brady Steele 28:21.86