CARMEL, Ind. – The Purdue men's cross country team won the Stan Lyons Bulldog Invitational as freshman Alex Frey claimed the individual title on Friday afternoon at the Northview Church course in Carmel, Indiana.
Frey was one of three Boilermakers to place in the top five, while all five runners finished in the top eight in the men's 8k. Purdue placed first with 23 points, ahead of Butler's 32 points. The women earned a ninth- and 10th-place finish individually and did not compete for a team score on the 5k course.
"It was great to see our athletes make the most of today's opportunity," cross country coach John Oliver said. "Especially Alex Frey, over the last couple months he really became a driver. It's a great example to the team that to get better, we have to be active drivers of our progression."
All seven Boilermakers who raced on Friday, five men and two women, were freshman in the midst of their first collegiate cross country campaigns.
Friday was the fifth and final regular-season meet of the cross country season. It came one week before the Big Ten Championships.
In the men's 8k, Frey won with a personal-best time of 25:25.6. He was ahead of teammate Ryan Ruppert, who's mark of 25:25.1 earned him the runner-up finish and also was a personal-record. William White was fifth with a PR of 26:03.0, and Joey Kasch notched a seventh-place finish in 26:21.3 in his first 8k race. In eighth was Geno Christofanelli, who crossed the finish line in 26:35.7.
For the women, Haley Mansfield was ninth overall, in 19:42.3. Emma Keesling was right behind her in 10th with a time of 19:57.1. Both Mansfield and Keesling were running in their second collegiate meet.
Purdue and host-Butler were joined by the IUPUI men and the Marquette and Thomas More women on Friday.
Up next, championship season begins in one week at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships. The meet is set for Friday, October 29, in State College, Pennsylvania.
For more on the Purdue cross country and track & field and program, visit PurdueSports.com/CrossCountry and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Frey was one of three Boilermakers to place in the top five, while all five runners finished in the top eight in the men's 8k. Purdue placed first with 23 points, ahead of Butler's 32 points. The women earned a ninth- and 10th-place finish individually and did not compete for a team score on the 5k course.
"It was great to see our athletes make the most of today's opportunity," cross country coach John Oliver said. "Especially Alex Frey, over the last couple months he really became a driver. It's a great example to the team that to get better, we have to be active drivers of our progression."
All seven Boilermakers who raced on Friday, five men and two women, were freshman in the midst of their first collegiate cross country campaigns.
Friday was the fifth and final regular-season meet of the cross country season. It came one week before the Big Ten Championships.
In the men's 8k, Frey won with a personal-best time of 25:25.6. He was ahead of teammate Ryan Ruppert, who's mark of 25:25.1 earned him the runner-up finish and also was a personal-record. William White was fifth with a PR of 26:03.0, and Joey Kasch notched a seventh-place finish in 26:21.3 in his first 8k race. In eighth was Geno Christofanelli, who crossed the finish line in 26:35.7.
For the women, Haley Mansfield was ninth overall, in 19:42.3. Emma Keesling was right behind her in 10th with a time of 19:57.1. Both Mansfield and Keesling were running in their second collegiate meet.
Purdue and host-Butler were joined by the IUPUI men and the Marquette and Thomas More women on Friday.
Up next, championship season begins in one week at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships. The meet is set for Friday, October 29, in State College, Pennsylvania.
For more on the Purdue cross country and track & field and program, visit PurdueSports.com/CrossCountry and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.