CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – SIUE men's and women's cross country opened its season on Friday evening at the Southeast Missouri Redhawk Invitational.
SIUE women's cross country finished second in the 4,000m race with an average time of 15:32. Junior Kaitlyn Walker led the women's pack, finishing fourth overall at 14:51.8. She finished the race with an average mile of 5:58.8.
Freshman Mia Loafman also finished inside the top 10, crossing the finish line at 15:20.8 for ninth. Freshman Ella Thier earned 12th at 15:30.7 while Chessy Nikonowicz took 17th at 15:58.1. Natalia Rodriguez (20th/16:02.9), Riley Doyle (21st/16:05.8), Gabrielle Horton (23rd/16:09.0), and Caroline Gwaltney (25th/16:12.6) rounded out the top 25.
On the men's side, SIUE finished second the 6,000m race, averaging a 19:23 time. Senior Roland Prenzler led the Cougars with a fourth-place finish at 19:02.9. He averaged a 5:06.5 mile in the event.
Junior Tyler Guthrie and senior Spencer Hielkema both earned top 10 finishes behind Prenzler. Guthrie finished sixth overall at 19:11.1 while Hielkema earned eighth, crossing the finish line at 19:17.4. Zach Walters (12th/19:33.9), D'Andre Watson (16th/19:51.1), Jackson Edwards (18th/20:02.5), and Cameron Woodard (19th/20:08.3) finished inside the top 25.
Up Next: The Cougars continue their 2023 campaign at the Indiana State John McNichols on Saturday, Sep. 16. The men's 8,000m race will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by the women's 5,000m at 9:45 a.m.
Stay connected with the Cougars all season long by following @SIUETrackandField on Instagram and @SIUETrackField on Twitter.
