MEN 4TH, WOMEN 5TH AT GARDNER-WEBB INVITATIONAL

Saturday, September 13

Boiling Springs, N.C.

9:45 AM

Radford University

Gardner-Webb Invite

MEN 4TH, WOMEN 5TH AT GARDNER-WEBB INVITATIONAL

9/13/2014 2:41:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

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BOILING SPRING, N.C. – In the opening meet of the season, Radford's men's and women's cross country squads recorded fourth and fifth place finishes, respectively, at the Gardner-Webb Invitational, a preview of the 2014 Big South Championship meet, on Saturday morning.

"I am extremely pleased with the showings from both our teams at today's conference preview," said cross country coach Mackenzie Wartenberger. "This was a "working meet" for us. We've been pushing hard in practice for the past few weeks and I am very excited with what I saw from our returners and our freshmen, who made their collegiate racing debuts."

A team effort, which saw the men post five runners between 21st and 30th and finish within 39 seconds of each other, allowed the Highlanders to earn fourth out of nine Big South programs with 122 points on the 8K course.

Brady Guertin, one of five freshman competing in their first collegiate meet, paced RU with a 21st place finish (27:21.48) and was followed by classmate Jacob Black in 25th (27:43). Sophomore Chaz Porter (27 - 27:51.87), freshman Mathew Farmer (28 - 27:55.84) and junior Harrison Murn with a personal best (30 - 28:00.63) rounded out the top-30 finishes. Murn earned his PR by chopping 37 seconds off his previous best, which he posted at the 2012 Big South Championships.

"Brady Guertin was especially impressive in his first 8k after battling some illness early in the week," commented Wartenburger.

Behind top-20 finishes from red-shirt senior Katie Hickey and senior Teresa Williamson, the women's squad posted 155 points, edging out Coastal Carolina (160 points) for fifth out of 10 programs.

The duo finished 16th and 17th with Hickey (20:09.29) outdistancing Williamson (20:09.50) at the by a mere .21 seconds on the 5K course. Sophomore Courtney Rice was next in line for the Highlanders at 36th with a 20:58.03. Four freshman, Cailyn Lavigne, Denaya Wolterding, Kylie Knudsen and Ckareekeea Branch placed 52nd, 56th, 67th, and 70th, respectively, in their first collegiate meet.

"Our freshman ladies really stepped up to racing the 5k with the big girls, which can be a scary first step," said the second-year coach.

The Highlanders return to the New River Valley next week for the Virginia Tech Alumni Invite on Friday, September 19.

"We've got a lot of work to do, and I looking forward to another great opportunity with our teams in full-force on a much faster course next Friday at Virginia Tech."