The weather was dry and warm with a strong breeze on a bright sunny day as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga cross country teams christened their new home course Saturday afternoon at the annual Front Runner Invitational. Both Mocs teams finished second in the race.
Junior Maddison Melchionna (Afton, Tenn.) and senior Paul Stuart (Brentwood, Tenn.) were the top finishers for UTC while both teams placed second behind strong Middle Tennessee teams.
Melchionna finished the women’s 5K in a time of 18:40.82, placing eighth in the women’s Division I race.
Senior Jessica York (Normandy, Tenn.) was the second UTC runner across the line, leading a group of four with a time of 19:02.32 in 10th. She was followed by sophomore Biranna Nelson (Jefferson, Wisc.) in the 11th position with a time of 19:03.24. Junior Anna Kate Chance (Columbia, Tenn.) was next at 19:03.64 with junior Hannah Chamblin 13th in a time of 19:04.98.
Freshman Kennedy Thomson (Catharine’s, Ontario) placed 18th overall with a time of 19:19.37 and freshman Haley Morris (Lenoir City, Tenn.) covered the course in a time of 19:26.29.
In the men’s race, Stuart finished ninth overall in a time of 26:05.87 and was the first of five UTC runners. Junior Brennan Huber (Manchester, Tenn.), who ran the race in pace with Stuart, was 10th with a time of 26:10.65.
Freshman Nathan Watson (Hendersonville, Tenn.) was right behind in a time of 26:14.17 followed by sophomores John Payne (Portland, Tenn.) in a time of 26:22.24 and Richard Guiry (Nashville, Tenn.) at 26:33.99. Senior Austin Casassa (Nashville, Tenn.) covered the 8-kilometer course in a time of 26:55.30 and sophomore Mark Britt (Lebanon, Tenn.) was 17th overall at 27:08.12.
Middle Tennessee’s men and women each won their races. The women took four of the Top Five spots and five of seven for 18 points. Blue Raider Hannah Maina was the overall winner with a time of 18:12.67.
The Mocs tallied 54 points for second followed by Georgia State with 71 for third. Winthrop took fourth with 94 points and Presbyterian was fifth with 134 points. Dalton State was the only non-Division I team in the race and was led by Emily Poole who placed sixth overall with a time of 18:26.34.
On the men’s side, swept the event, claiming the top six spots and grabbling eighth as well. Kigen Chemadi was the first of the top four to step across the line as they held hands and finished together, with a time of 25:03.99.
Chattanooga was second with 55 points followed by Winthrop with 76 and Presbyterian with 110 for fourth. Dalton State’s top finisher was Ryan Gebelein, placing 20th overall in a time of 27:35.92.
Chattanooga will take the next two weeks to prepare for the Southern Conference Championships to be held Saturday, October 29 at Camp Jordan at 10 a.m.