Women Continue Building at Bradley Pink Classic

Peoria, IL: The Harper women's cross country team continued its 2026 season Friday at the Bradley Pink Classic, hosted by Bradley University at Newman Golf Course. Competing in the Women's White 6K race, the Hawks faced a competitive collegiate field while continuing to gain experience throughout their rebuilding season.

Amanda Albrecht led the Harper women, finishing the 6K in 25:34.9. Albrecht continued her consistent season by setting another personal record, improving her previous best by eight seconds.

"My goal for the Bradley Invite was to run under 25:30, and although I fell a little short, I'm still happy I set a new PR of 8 seconds in my last 6K. Overall, I'm very proud of myself for being able to PR in every 6K race I ran this season, and I'm looking forward to carrying that momentum into the championship races," Albrecht said.

Carly Bierman finished in 27:24.3, placing ahead of College of DuPage's Shaylee Powell by 4.9 seconds. Bierman reflected on her effort and identified an area she hopes to improve in future races.

"I feel like I did a lot better at pushing myself for the first two miles of the race, but I definitely could have tried harder to empty my tank earlier toward the finish," Bierman said.

Lucy Reyna finished the 6K in 30:44.9, continuing her return to competition following an injury. She reflected on the course's rolling hills and the challenge of maintaining her pace over the terrain.

"The toughest part of the Bradley 6K course was probably the rolling hills. This was my first race back from an injury, and the hills on the course were pretty hard to attack and make it difficult to stay consistent with the speed I had before and after the hill!!," Reyna said.

The Hawks also had an opportunity to compare their individual performances against regional rival College of DuPage, which finished 18th in the team standings with 550 points.

DuPage's leading runner, Daniela Beto Tecaxco, finished in 25:07.0, placing just 27.9 seconds ahead of Albrecht. The close margin demonstrated that Harper's leading runner remained competitive against DuPage's top finisher. DuPage's Fatima Moreno followed with a time of 26:15.7, while Bierman recorded a competitive result against another Chaparral runner, finishing 4.9 seconds ahead of Shaylee Powell. Although DuPage held the advantage in team depth, Harper's individual performances provided encouraging signs for a program continuing to rebuild its lineup.

For Albrecht, the race marked another opportunity to lead the Hawks against a competitive field, while Bierman and Reyna continued developing valuable experience as the season progressed.

As the championship portion of the season approaches, Harper will look to build on the experience gained throughout the fall. With Albrecht continuing to lead the way and Bierman and Reyna contributing behind her, the Hawks remain focused on individual improvement and developing a stronger foundation for the program.

The Bradley Pink Classic provided another step forward for the Harper women as they prepare for the final stretch of the 2026 cross country season.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Amanda Albrecht: Freshman

Carly Bierman: Freshman

Lucy Reyna: Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Amanda Albrecht
: Freshman

Carly Bierman
: Freshman

Lucy Reyna
: Sophomore