FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --- The Mississippi College women's cross country team finished 18th out of 31 teams at the 2022 Chile Pepper Invitational. 

They finished fifth in NCAA Division II, competing with some of the best competition in the NCAA Division I and II. 

Jazmin Hernandez was the top Lady Choctaw to cross the line in a school record of 17:34.8. Her record-breaking performance now marks the third year in a row that Mississippi College women's cross country record has been broken. 

After a conservative and patient first mile, Hernandez displayed an outstanding second half to pass 77 people in the last two miles. 

The school record holder led three more Lady Choctaws in the scoring five to lifetime bests right behind her - Lauren Wallace in 18:22.9, Bre Bell in 18:43.8, and Haley Hall in 18:58.6. 

Kathy Hammond was the No. 4 runner for the women of Mississippi College in 18:45.1. 

"The Chile pepper festival has been highlighted on our schedule since the first day of Cross Country camp as a meet where we wanted to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone.", commented Coach Mathew Reneker on the women's performance as a whole in Fayetteville. "I'm so proud of this women's team in their meticulous game plan and exquisite execution. I think the result speak for themselves; numerous personal best and a school record on a challenging course and warm temperatures." 

This performance marks only the second time in Mississippi College women's cross country that all scoring five have gone under 19 minutes in the 5K. They had a top-five average of 18:29, six seconds off their record set at the 2021 Gulf South Conference Cross Country Championships. 

The women's team will have a down week before traveling to Montevallo, Ala., and compete at the 2022 UAB Blazer Classic, where they will preview the 2022 Gulf South Conference Cross Country Championship course.