The Westminster cross-country teams came away with fifth-place finishes at the BYU Autumn Classic on Saturday held at East Bay Golf Course in Provo, Utah. The race fielded men and women's teams from NCAA I and II in-state institutions, including BYU, Dixie State, Utah State and Weber State.
The Westminster women had five out of eight team members set lifetime personal best marks in the 3-mile course. Freshman Rosemary Elliott was the Griffins top runner, placing 59th in the field of 75 with a time of 19:37, followed closely by fellow freshman Katie Scott at 19:50. Finishing off the top five were juniors Hannah Painter and Olivia Causse and freshman Christine Sheehan. Mara Kushner had a strong race, improving her personal best time by more than a minute.
The men's team performed well with five out of the 11 topping their personal best marks in the 4-mile course. The team was lead by freshman Dj Matthews, placing 64th in the field of 90 racers with a time of 21:34. Matthews has been the top runner for the Griffins in the last three races. Sophomore Michael Montoya took 72nd at 22:06, junior Eric Mellmer ran 22:24 to place 76th, followed by freshmen Tony Nickerson in 77th running 22:34 and Aiden Urban finishing at 22:57.
The Westminster cross-country teams next head to Boulder, Colorado, to race on Sept. 30, in the 32nd Annual Rocky Mountain Shootout hosted by the University of Colorado.
ABOUT WESTMINSTER:
Westminster is a private, independent, and comprehensive college in Salt Lake City, Utah. The intercollegiate athletics program is a provisional member of NCAA II and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).