FAIRBURN, Ga. – Senior Kate Mattison and freshman Justin Hayes each recorded top-10 finishes as the Western Carolina cross country teams competed at the Asics/Alexander Invitational on Saturday morning.

The Catamount women's team finished in eighth place in the team standings with the men's team earning a ninth-place result.

"I felt like we had a good race finishing in the top 10 for both teams," said head coach Jesse Norman. "We were led by Kate and Justin with top six individual finishes. As a team we closed up some of our gaps and closed on teams we've previously raced, so that's a good sign that we're moving in the right direction."

Mattison cruised around the lightning-fast Chattahoochee Hills Eventing course with a personal best 5K time of 18:08.79 for a fifth-place finish. Mattison's time is the eighth-fastest 5K time in program history. Sophomore Sydney Runyan crossed the finish line in 42^nd with a personal best time of 19:28.44. Freshman Alesea Caldwell logged a personal best time of 19:37.51 to finish in 53^rd. Classmate Sara Klemm broke the 20-minute barrier for the second straight week with a new personal best 19:51.62 to finish in 71^st. Freshman Isabelle Broman-Fulks finished with a new personal best time of 20:23.22. Freshman Madelyn Duffield finished with a time of 20:39.77 followed by freshman Madeleine Wagner at 20:50.65.

Hayes finished in sixth place thanks to an 8K personal best time of 25:35.25. Classmate Will Mitchell finished 50^th as he navigated the course in 26:34.39. Sophomore Drew Zink followed in 52^nd with a time of 26:35.89. Freshman Jordan McHugh completed the race with a personal best time of 27:08.73 to finish in 67^th with junior Jalen Elwell following McHugh in 68^th in a personal best 27:08.82.

Sophomore Clay Summers placed 70^th with a personal best time of 27:14.20, shattering his previous personal best by over a minute. Freshman Nicholas Kiser also improved his personal best by over a minute thanks to a time of 27:54.04. Other WCU finishers include freshmen John Davis with a personal best 28:27.20 and Henry Stecher, who recorded a personal best 29:17.23.

WCU is off next weekend and will head to the Upstate Invitational at the Milliken Research Center in Spartanburg, S.C on Oct. 16.

Keep track of everything related to Catamount cross country and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports) and Twitter (@catamounts, @catamountxctf).
 
Women's Results: 5K
5. Kate Mattison – 18:08.79
42. Sydney Runyan – 19:28.44
53. Alesea Caldwell – 19:37.31
71. Sara Klemm – 19:51.62
102. Isabelle Broman-Fulks – 20:32.22
117. Madelynn Duffield – 20:39.77
123. Madeleine Wagner – 20:50.65
 
Men's Results: 8K
6. Justin Hayes – 25:35.65
50. Will Mitchell – 26:34.39
52. Drew Zink – 26:35.89
67. Jordan McHugh – 27:08.73
68. Jalen Elwell – 27:08.82
70. Clay Summers – 27:14.20
103. Nicholas Kiser – 27:54.04
134. John Davis – 28:27.20
159. Henry Stecher – 29:17.23