Cross Country Comes Up Huge in Skippers Invitational

MARYSVILLE, MI - The Rochester University Cross Country program opened their season with a bang at the Skipper Invitational, with a first-place finish for the men's program and a second-place finish for the women's program.

"It was a huge step in the right direction for the guys side," runner Reece Welch said. "This is going to be a big year for us as a team and this meet was just the start of it."

These placements mark a historic moment for the Warriors XC program, which placed ninth in conference last season. The Warriors were led by the efforts of Alec Shaw and Heather Eller. Shaw placed first with a time of 27:05 in the Men's 8K, while Eller placed second in the Women's 5k with a time of 21:13.

"This finish shows me that we are just getting started and great things are in our future," Eller said. "We're making history with each stride we take. I'm extremely excited to see what our guys and girls are capable of."

This was the first invitational the Warriors have competed in while being led by head coach Andrew Bowman. The Warriors will look to build off of this strong start next week at the Ferris State University Bulldog Invite on the 10th.

"Everyone put in the work at every practice which really showed through the meet," Eller said. "All the training this summer really paid off."