SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Centre men's cross country team returned to action after a week idle as they competed in the NCAA Pre-National Meet against some of the top teams in the country. The Colonels finished in ninth place in the race.
 
The Colonels finished with a combined team score of 224 points to finish in ninth place in between a pair of Southern Athletic Association rivals. Centre finished 25 points behind Berry and 22 points ahead of Oglethorpe.
 
Individually, the first Centre runner to cross the finish line was senior Reeve VanDemark. VanDemark, who won SAA Men's Runner of the Week honors after a personal best 6k time in his last race, turned in an 8k time of 25:51.3 to finish 32nd overall.
 
Sophomore Liam Black hit a new personal best 8k time as he cleared the course in 26:23.9. Freshman Houston Brooks finished his first collegiate 8k in 26:27.9 to give Centre three runners inside the individual top 50.
 
Junior Carter Russell and senior Noah George were the final two scored runners for the Colonels as they posted respective times of 26:52.8 and 26:54.1, the latter representing a personal best 8k time for George.
 
NEXT UP
 
The Colonels will be idle on Sept. 27 but will return to action on Oct. 4 with the Greater Louisville Classic at the University of Louisville.