Lynchburg, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg men's and women's cross country teams opened the 2024 campaign at the Liberty Challenge dual-meet on Friday night.
Despite many Hornets not competing in the race, the evening provided many impressive freshmen debuts and formidable results for returners coming back from injury. The field consisted of Lynchburg and Liberty runners, along with several unattached athletes.
While race directors did not tally team scores for this competition, the Lynchburg women opened the meet with four athletes in the top 15. The women's race spanned four kilometers, deviating from the typical 6k at collegiate meets.
Kayla Werner headlined the effort by placing third with 14:44.3. Senior Allison Dell finished in 15:29.3 for 10th, Delaney Saulsbury placed 12th with 15:57.3, and Hannah Herr finished in 16:14.1 for 15th. Herr's finish is just her second cross country result after battling early-season injuries as an underclassman.
The Lynchburg men raced 6k with Alex Paciello leading the charge for the Hornets. The Pasadena, Md. native finished in 20:28.8 for 12th place, highlighting the elite potential of head coach Jake Reed's freshman class. Also making collegiate debuts, Jack Weddle placed 14th with 20:47.6 and Dylan McGraw placed 15th with 20:52.5.
With multiple difficult inclines decorating the course, this race served as an opportunity to gauge fitness early in the season while controlling the effort. Lynchburg looks to unleash the full squad later in September as the season crawls towards the climax.
The Hornets will resume action on Sep. 20 during a split-squad weekend when many athletes compete at the Adidas XC Challenge in Cary, N.C. On Sep. 21, national-level runners will make the trip to Terre Haute, Ind. to compete in the John McNichols Invite, a preview of the national championship course.
For full results from the Liberty Challenge, click here.
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