Eagles Showcase Talent at ASICS Invitational as Women Take 1st, Men 2nd

FAIRBURN, Ga. – The Carson-Newman men's and women's cross-country teams showcased their talent on Saturday at the ASICS Invitational, as the women took home first place and the men finished in second with an individual champion on both sides.

After two second-place finishes to start the season, the women earned a first-place finish for the first time. Three of the top five finishers in the race were Eagles, with Katie Smock coming in first at 18:18.76, Jenna Pittman in second at 18:23.09, and Imke Van Gog in fourth at 18:43.42.

"We thought we had a shot to win," interim head coach Whit Lee said. "I continue to be impressed with Katie's efforts… She and Jenna set the tone of the race early on. Imke rounding into form is huge for us… We'll need her as we get to the SAC."

In the second wave of Eagles, Peyton Couch finished in 16^th at 19:35.53, McKenna Spaulding in 18^th at 19:41.06, and Maggie Hope in 20^th at 19:42.24. 

"We continue to perform well in our small packs," Lee said. "Our next focus is to close our gap from the front three to the next three."

Rounding out the Eagles was Karli Yarid in 52^nd at 22:05.15 and Nicole Griffith in 81^st at 24:29.23. A complete performance propelled C-N to a first-place finish as a team.

Colten Lee stood out again on the men's side with a first-place finish in the 8k at 24:47.88, playing a big role in the Eagles' second-place finish. After being named SAC Runner of the Week two weeks ago, Lee continues to be one of the top runners in the conference.

"It all starts with an incredible race from Colten Lee," Lee said. "He took the lead at 1.5 miles and never gave it back."

Raymond Brugmans placed 13^th at 26:42.41, with Will Kolb crossing just over a second after at 26:43.55 in 14^th.

"Ray closed out hard today, which was good for our guys to see," Lee said. "His leadership has been critical for us… Incredible race from Will Kolb as well."

Garrett Wilson soon followed Brugmans and Kolb in 24^th at 27:13.33, with Bryson Burkett crossing at 27:21.41 in 28th.

Other finishes for the Eagles include Cooper Carr in 34^th, Christian Henry in 35^th, Andrew Thompson in 41^st, Trent Lovelace in 43^rd, Tyler Jones in 57^th, Sam Cline in 60^th, Will Cable in 70^th, and Nick Noble in 99th.

With another solid showing, the Eagles men's team found themselves on the podium at the end of the day.

"The men had a great showing today," Lee said. "We had our eyes on a podium finish."

With an impressive showing in Fairburn, the Eagles will look to build on it at the Royals XC Challenge in Charlotte, NC, on October 6th.