ANDERSON, S.C. - Following a two-week layoff, the Anderson University women's and men's cross country teams are slated to return to Charlotte, N.C, for the third time this season to compete in the Royals XC Challenge, hosted by Queens University Saturday morning at McAlpine Creek Park.
AU's return to the Queen City will see the women's 5K start at 11 a.m., with the men's 8K scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
The women's distance marks AU's return to the 5K for the first time since the season-opening Queens Twilight in early September, while the men's team will be competing at the same distance for the third consecutive outing.
Saturday marks the third consecutive season and fourth time in five years that the Trojans have competed in the event. Last season, Sydney Hazel paced the women's team to an eighth-place finish out of 30 squads competing, while Parks Edwards led the men's squad to 14th place.
On the women's side last year Hazel took 25th, while Bari Robinson finished 36th. Olivia Gardner crossed the line in 42nd, while Grace Gerlock finished 96th and Amber Worthy crossed the line in the 106th. Devan Fisher finished 131st and Mia Swiersz finished 141st.
Edwards crossed the finish line in 51st a year ago, while Ben
Boerma captured 70th. Westley Wilson finished 81st, with Ned
Kennedy placing 90th and classmate Jesse Patrick crossing the
finish line in 103rd. Michael Burch rounded out the AU contingent
in 147th.
With eight runners posting season-best times on the women's side,
freshman Alex Dixon led AU to sixth place at the Charlotte 49er
Invitational two weeks ago. Dixon finished 15th overall, while
Gardner was just behind in 17th. Sophomores Robinson and Swiersz
crossed the line in 42nd and 45th, respectively.
Gerlock claimed 54th and freshman Allison Halperin garnered 56th. Worthy finished 64th, while freshman Taylor Morris brought home 69th. Hazel took 73rd, with freshman Haylee Love finishing 78th and Fisher crossing the line in 90th.
Paced by freshman Mason Hazel's 33rd-place effort, all five
runners notched season-best times on the men's side two weeks ago,
as AU claimed seventh. Patrick claimed 39th with Boerma just
behind in 41st. Joshua Visi-Clark took 56th and Burch placed
80th.
