CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Following a pair of second-place finishes to close the regular season, Austin Peay State University's women's cross country team returns to John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama, to take part in its first ASUN Conference Championship, Saturday. The 5-kilometer race begins at 8 a.m. CT.

This season's championship is being held in Huntsville for the first time in conference history.

The Governors are scheduled to compete against Bellarmine, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Queens, and Stetson. In the South Region, Lipscomb is ranked third and Kennesaw State 10th. In the Southeast Region, Liberty is fifth and Eastern Kentucky 15th.

Austin Peay is represented by Piper Barnhart, Savannah Fruth, Lauren Lewis, Kerra Marsh, Hallie Mattingly, and Mikaela Smith.

In their last outing, the Governors took second in the Evansville Invitational, Oct. 15, at Angel Mounds State Historic Park in Evansville, Indiana. Smith finished third overall in a time of 19:36.3. Marsh placed sixth in 20:07.4. Mattingly was eighth with a time of  20:33.4. Barnhart claimed 20th in a time of 21:29.7. Lewis was 26th in 22:13.5. 

Austin Peay's first race at John Hunt Park was Sept. 16 in the North Alabama Showcase. Five of seven Governors' runners - Fruth, Marsh, Mattingly, Barnhart, and Sydney Freeman - posted then-personal bests.