Cross Country team off to fast start, finishes 1st and 3rd in first tournament
Jesse Brackeen | Staff Writer
The Mean Green Cross Country team kicked off its season Tuesday night at the Baylor Twilight Invitational, with the Men’s team finishing in first place and scoring a perfect 15. The women’s team finished in third place.
The men swept the top five spots and were led by Junior James Coleman, who finished the six-kilometer race in 18 minutes and 21 seconds. Senior Troy Taylor finished in second in his first race following his 145th place finish at the National Championships in 2014.
Head coach Stefanie Slekis said she is happy with her team’s fast start to the season.
“It was exactly how we wanted to start,” Slekis said. “We controlled our pace and finished with a perfect 15 points. We had seven runners finish in the top ten, so it was a great way to get our season started.”
The women placed behind host Baylor University and Southern Methodist University. Senior Magdalena Escobar finished in 7th, while Junior Shauna Pali took 10th place. Last season, the women finished the Invitational in 5th.
“I was pleased with the team,” Slekis said of her team’s overall performance. “We lowered our score quite a bit from last season on both sides.”
With conference competition still a few months away, Slekis said her runners were content with their first race.
“There were definitely more highlights than low,” Slekis said. “There is always more work to be done but it is a great starting point, a great checkpoint to hit.”
The team’s next competition takes place on September 12th at the Garland Invitational in Denton.
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