Facing midsummer-like temperatures and humidity, the Covenant cross country teams persevered and coasted to first place finishes across the board at the Huntingdon Invitational on Saturday morning.
The men placed first with Matthew Tueller claiming the individual title, while Lilly Smith was the women's winner. The women's team also claimed first.
On the men's side, Covenant had four of the top five finishers. Tueller led the pack with his 8k time of 28:53 to earn the top spot.
Matt Seitz came in second with his time of 29:07 and Nate Collins was fourth at 29:30. Caleb Aikens, in his first race of the year, placed fifth at 29:37. The Scots had four other runners also finish within the top 10 as Matthew Broussard was sixth at 30:24 with Ian Sneller seventh coming in at 30:35. Leif Le Mahieu (30:58) and Sam Pierce (31:03) placed eighth and ninth, respectively.
Covenant finished with 18 points on the day, placing better than fellow USA South members Piedmont, LaGrange, and host Huntingdon.
The women dominated their 6k event as the Scots had each of the top six finishers. Lilly Smith paced the Scots with her first place run and 6k time of 24:10. S.K. Lipperd continues to impress through her first two races as she finished second at 24:37. Michelann Settle came in third at 24:48, while Alexandra May set a personal record with her time of 26:24 and a fourth place finish.
Maggie Henry (26:49) was fifth and Hannah Samuels (27:22) rounded out the top six runners in the meet. Anna Danek came in eighth with a time of 27:47, while Caroline Pepper also finished in the top 10 with her ninth place finish and time of 29:27.
Women's Results (top 7 finishers):
1st - Lilly Smith - 24:10
2nd - S.K. Lipperd - 24:37
3rd - Michelann Settle - 24:48
4th - Alexandra May - 26:24 (PR)
5th - Maggie Henry - 26:49
6th - Hannah Samuels - 27:22
8th - Anna Danek - 27:47
Men's Results (top 7 finishers):
1st - Matthew Tueller - 28:53
2nd - Matt Seitz - 29:07
4th - Nate Collins - 29:30
5th - Caleb Aikens - 29:37
6th - Matthew Broussard - 30:24
7th - Ian Sneller - 30:35
8th - Leif Le Mahieu - 30:58
UP NEXT
Covenant will travel to Greenville, S.C., on Saturday, Sept. 15 to compete in the Furman Cross Country Classic. The women's race begins at 8:30 a.m., with the men following at 9:15 a.m.