Pittsburgh, PA- The Mercyhurst Cross Country team competed in the Carnegie Mellon Invitational this morning. The men's team finished in 5th place out of 15 teams and the women's team finished in 8th place out of 15 teams. 

How it Happened 

The men's 8k was up first as they took on the trails through Schenley Park. They finished in 5th place with 130 points, just one point behind Point Park University. The men finished with an impressive spread of 1:20, which propelled them to success. The men were led by graduate student Alec Bidwell, who finished in 17th place with a time of 26:26. Freshmen Sawyer Bonnett and Xavier Mohamed followed, with Bonnett finishing in 26th place with a time of 26:54 and Mohamed finishing in 27th place with a time of 27:00. Freshman Max Dillaman and sophomore Daniel Derby capped off the top five Lakers with Dillaman finishing in 38th place with a time of 27:24 and Derby finishing in 51st place with a time of 27:47. 

The women's 5k followed with multiple impressive times and finishes, despite the hills that they faced throughout the course. They placed 8th overall with 215 points, just behind Glenville State. The women also had an excellent spread of 1:15. The Lakers were led by freshman Caitlin Dugan, who finished in 21st place with a time of 19:47. Sophomore Kaila Szczygielski followed, finishing in 34th place with a time of 20:19. Up next was senior Mikaela LeBaron, who finished in 50th place with a time of 20:37. Graduate student Ellie Chuzie and junior Bella Homorody finished off the top five for the women, finishing together in 62nd and 63rd place, with times of 21:02 and 21:03. Both teams have gained confidence throughout the season and this race prepared them well for their championship race coming up in just a few short weeks. 

When asked about today's performances, Head Coach Mike Williamson said, "The men's team had another strong showing from our freshman class who helped propel the team to a top 5 finish. Sawyer Bonnett and Max Dillaman finished with personal bests. The women's team ran strong as a pack throughout the race and produced a solid performance in a competitive field."

Up Next

The Lakers will wrap up their season at the NEC Conference Championship on Friday, November 1st in New Britain, CT.