Clinton, Miss.- The Crusader Men's and Women's Cross Country teams kicked off the 2024 season this evening at the Mississippi College Opener at Choctaw Trails. The Crusader men finished third, while the women finished fourth, in a rare day where both teams ran a 5K.
 
The men's race was held first, and was dominated by the host Choctaws. MC racked up 17 points, well ahead of second place Louisiana-Monroe, who had 53 points. The Crusaders finished right behind ULM with 75 total points. The third place finish comes from a field of sixteen teams, including several Division I and II teams.
 
Nathan Sury led the Crusaders, finishing a wet course with a time of 15:47, good for 7^th overall. Gavin Wheat followed closely behind at 9^th overall with a time of 15:58. Luke Skinner finished at 16:25 to round out Crusader top 20 finishers. Matthew McGuire came in with a time of 16:37, and Gift Mashilo was eleven seconds behind at 16:48 to finish the scoring for WCU.  
 
The women's race was a little tighter than the men's, but Mississippi College edged out ULM for the win. The two teams were separated by only 17 points, with Alabama State coming in third, just nine points behind ULM. The Lady Crusaders finished just two points behind Division I Alabama State.
 
Blanca Conesa paced the Crusaders with a third place overall finish and a time of 19:11 in the 5K event. Isabelle Wheeler wasn't far behind, coming in fifth overall, with a time of 19:23. The next Crusader runner to cross the finish line was Hannah Mitchell in 15^th place at 20:32. Virginia Tirado was the last top 20 finisher at 20^th place, with a time of 21:03. Maria Simancas rounded out the scoring for Carey with a time of 22:32.
 
Both teams have a quick turnaround and will be back in action next Friday at Jacksonville State for the Southern Showcase.