Hilltoppers Claim Sixth, Lady Toppers Finish 13th at C-USA Championships

Saturday, October 28

Hattiesburg, Miss.

8 a.m. CT

Western Kentucky University

C-USA Championships

2017 Cross Country Championships generic

Hilltoppers Claim Sixth, Lady Toppers Finish 13th at C-USA Championships

10/28/2017 2:46:00 PM | Cross Country

Men's Results | Women's Results

JACKSON, Miss. – WKU Cross Country wrapped up action from the 2017 Conference USA Championships hosted by Southern Miss at the Choctaw Trails in Jackson, Miss., with a sixth place finish on the men's side while the Lady Toppers finished 13^th on the day. Julien Cuyeu led the men's squad with a 23^rd place finish while Savannah Ames set the tone for the women with a 38^th-place mark. Six of WKU's 12 combined runners at the championship event were freshmen, making their first C-USA appearances.

"We had a mixed bag of results but we improved in a lot of areas," head coach Erik Jenkins shared. "The group has worked hard this fall and I believe their dedication will pay off in the future."

The men's 8K kicked off the day's events. Cuyeu earned his first top-finish for the Hilltoppers this year and just missed All-Conference status, crossing the line in 25:28.54, two spots away from earning recognition. Also posting a top-30 showing for the Red and White was Endalow Takele, finishing 29^th with a reading of 25:50.86 at the event. Taylor Scarbrough crossed third for WKU, coming in at 39^th with a time of 26:05.33. Alexander Schell (26:40.79) and Bryce Swindell (26:43.98) placed 48^th and 50^th, respectively, while Barrett Eddings (27:52.03) rounded out the Hilltopper racers with a 65^th-place showing.

Cuyeu, Schell and Swindell each posted their season-best 8K mark at the C-USA Championships.

Middle Tennessee took home the team crown on the men's side while Charlotte, Rice, North Texas and Marshall rounded out the top five. Behind WKU, UTSA, Louisiana Tech, UTEP, Florida Atlantic and FIU filled in seventh through 11^th. WKU posted an average race time of 26:09.90.

Ames led the Lady Toppers with a 37^th-place effort, making the senior WKU's top finisher in every race this season. Her mark of 18:35.93 was a new 5K career high as well. Sophomore Brianna Wolken recorded a 92^nd-place finish at her second C-USA Championships appearance with a 20:31.66 mark. Morgan Kannapel crossed next for WKU, posting a 20:51.49 time. Rylie Mercer finished 97^th, clocking a time of 21:29.85 followed by Rebecca Cook in 101^st (22:10.01) and Aairiona Hayden-Ransom in 103^rd (22:43.55).

Every Lady Topper competitor recorded a season-best 5K mark at the competition. Besides Ames and Wolken, WKU's four other racers were all freshmen, making their first Conference USA Cross Country Championships appearances.

Charlotte took home the women's team title while Southern Miss, Rice, UAB and North Texas picked up top-five showings. Middle Tennessee, UTEP, FIU, UTSA, Florida Atlantic, Marshall and Louisiana Tech grabbed spots six through 12 while WKU rounded things out in 13^th. WKU produced an average race time of 20:43.79 on the day.

More information including results, recaps, highlights and more can be found on the Championships Central page at: http://conferenceusa.com/tournaments/?id=373.