GEORGETOWN, TEXAS - The Southwestern University men's cross country team put together a strong showing on October 4th at the highly competitive Chile Pepper XC Festival 8K in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Facing off against a deep field of 25 teams, the Pirates held their own and secured a solid 12th-place finish. The performance marks another step forward in a season marked by steady growth and determination, as the team continues to build momentum heading into the heart of their fall schedule.

"The men had a tough task before them on the hills in Fayetteville this weekend. Though it wasn't our best day, it was another step in the right direction. We have been talking about adding layers to our race plan and preparation through the season and the energy and size of this meet was the next layer for us. We continue to get a better idea of what's the best race plan for each person and what we need to work on in practice. Those kinds of takeaways aren't always the most exciting to talk about, but they're extremely valuable in getting the most out of the fitness we're building. Our next race is at home where we get to zero in on how exactly we want to race the course in preparation for the conference meet at the end of the month" stated head coach Joe Sponsel.

MEET HIGHLIGHTS

• Emilio Salas - ran the 8K 56 seconds faster, finishing with a season best

SOUTHWESTERN RESULTS

• Emilio Salas - 26:54.1

• Cade Rosenquist - 27:38.9

• Kevin Love - 28:26.8

• Max Rodriguez - 29:14.6

• Xavier Wines - 29:24.4

• Leonardo Redding - 29:24.8

• Cooper Stoughton - 29:40.5

• Jackson Herlin - 31:14.7

UP NEXT

• .The Pirates will return to action on October 18th in Georgetown as they host the SU Showdown, looking to carry their momentum into their home course and deliver another strong performance.