MARION, Ind. — IU Kokomo women's cross country finished 12th Friday at the IWU Twilight Invitational, totaling 322 points and a team time of 1:48:32. Freshman Haley Blackburn led the way for the Cougars, finishing 38th overall.

Due to excessive heat in central Indiana, the meet schedule was adjusted and the women's race was delayed from its originally scheduled start time.

Blackburn paced IU Kokomo in the 5K with a time of 20:08.1 and an average mile of 6:28.8. Alysha Crouch followed in 81st with a time of 21:11.0, while Amber Detmer placed 122nd in 22:18.0 and Keeley Carpenter finished 126th in 22:20.4.

"The weather definitely played a factor in our team and individual performances tonight," head coach Josh Colvin said. "Our ladies fought hard, but some are more affected by the heat than others, and that showed. We have some work to do, and if we can put it all together, we are a much better team."

Women's 5K Individual Results (5K)
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38. Blackburn - 20:08.1, 37 points  
81. Crouch - 21:11.0, 58 points  
122. Detmer - 22:18.0, 73 points  
126. Carpenter - 22:20.4, 76 points  
128. Ava Jefferis - 22:34.6, 78 points  
129. Alexis Sibray - 22:39.2, 79 points  
136. Madi Walkup - 22:56.2, 84 points  
154. Kaylee Futrell - 24:10.3  
157. Erabella Winrotte - 24:29.6  
162. Kaytlin Moeller - 24:43.7  
164. Erica Grubbs - 25:12.1  
167. Elly Potts - 25:23.0  

The Cougars will return to action Friday, Sept. 18, when they travel to Shelbyville, Indiana, for the Crimson Pride Invitational at Blue River Cross Country Course.

For the latest news, updates and information on the IU Kokomo Cougars, fans can visit IUKCougars.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Cougar news by following @IUKAthletics on Facebook, X and Instagram.