Charlotte, N.C. – In the hot conditions of the late afternoon, The Augusta University Men's Cross Country team came away as the winner of the Queen City Invite.
The squad dominated a field packed with, not only some of the best teams in the southeast region, but several NCAA Division I teams as well. Out of the 43 schools that ran the 8k race, Augusta was the best, finishing with a total team time of 2:05:35 with the runners averaging 25:07. Fellow Peach Belt competitor, Flagler, finished in third, with region foe, Anderson, coming in fourth.
Jacob Poston was the top runner for Augusta, finishing second with a time of 24:36. Chase Kennedy, Hunter Kimball, Kai Brink, and Hans Troyer all had top 10 finishes for the Jags, crossing the finish line in order at fourth, fifth, and sixth with Troyer coming in ninth. Augusta was the only team to have multiple runners finish in the top 10 on the day. Also with a solid outing was Rakeem Littles, who managed a 12th place finish, while Jacob Burgamy came in 13th.
Coach Adam Ward was ecstatic about the win today. When asked to comment about the team's performance, Ward said, "The men wanted to come out and run hard since we haven't done so for the entire team yet. I was impressed with how they didn't let a big move early by a few teams deter them from moving up and trusting their fitness to win the day. It was VERY hot at race time for both races. But, the Jags persevered and put 7 in the top 13! It was a very good day for us. Time to get back to work, though!"
The Jaguars hope to follow up their dominant outing with another as they head off to the Peach Belt Conference Championships, hosted by UNC Pembroke, in Pembroke, N.C. on Saturday, Oct. 26th.