Memphis , Tenn.-Sophomore Hannah Smith ran a 21:34.17 to lead Ozarks at the Rhodes College Invitational Saturday in Memphis.

The 5K race featured 20 teams from NCAA I, NCAA II and NCAA III. Ozarks finished 17th as a team. Smith's time placed her 104th. Madison Sherrer ran a 22:33.58 for 127th place and Caitlyn Bell placed 130th behind a time of 22:43.98. Jacquelyn Vaden posted a time of 23:52.44 for 137th place. Denise Garcia ran a 26:18.97 for 151st place.

"It was a great effort today," said head coach Jeremy Provence. "The team showed a lot of pride in themselves and Ozarks. The competition was stiff but the team didn't back down. Before the race I told them to go out and race from start to finish, and not get complacent. I wanted them to keep pushing until the finish line and they did a great job of doing that. The women went out aggressive and were able to fight through a lot of adversity to do very well. They stepped up and pushed the pace early as a team. We faded a little in the second half of the race, but I like the fact that they were not afraid to go out and compete from the start. We can take a lot from this race moving forward."

Ozarks will travel to the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville October 1.