Blacksburg, Va. – The University of Lynchburg men's and women's cross country teams kicked off the 2026 campaign with third-place team finishes at the Virginia Tech Invitational, hosted at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course.

Six athletes funneled into the top 20 of their respective races, while both teams ousted opponents from the Division II level. Despite racing shortened distances, the men's and women's teams navigated a treacherous course in high temperatures to open the season.

Women's Race

The Hornets placed third in the women's 4.4k with 86 points, led by first-year Savannah Wood's 17:24.2 performance for 18th place. Adelynn Carpenter trailed closely behind, crossing the line in 17:26.7 for 19th. Friday evening's race marked Carpenter's first cross country race since the South Region Showdown in October 2025, as she missed the postseason due to injury.

Winter Tietjen posted 17:46.0 for 25th place, while Sydney Davis led a trio of Hornets with an 18:24.3 effort for 33rd. Hannah Edwards (18:43.2) and Ella Warren (18:46.2) worked together to secure 34th and 35th for the Hornets to close the scoring. 

Three newcomers filed into Lynchburg's top seven, and Hannah Edwards was the Hornets' lone senior in the mix. In the team scoring, Virginia Tech emerged victorious with a perfect score of 15, while Washington & Lee placed second with 58 points.

Men's Race

Aidan Riggle led the pack for the men's team en route to a third-place finish, with five finishers inside the top 25.

The Woodbridge, Va. native submitted an 18:56.7 performance to place 12th, while transfer Ty Blair perfectly matched his time to finish 13th. Cameron Sidebotham funneled closely behind, clocking 19:00.9 for 15th place.

Alex Paciello crossed the line in 19:13.6 for 18th, and to wrap up the scoring, Nate Cochran earned a 19:21.3 result for 22nd. Although the Hornets trailed conference foe Washington & Lee by 13 points in the team standings, Lynchburg's first five runners finished ahead of the Generals' five.

Next Up

The Hornets return to action on Saturday, Sept. 19 when they host the South Region Preview at Panorama Farms in Earlysville, Va.

For full results from the Virginia Tech Invitational, click here.

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--LYN--