The men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday, Oct. 6. The men’s team finished fourth while the women’s team finished 24th against Division I schools.
Although the Owls have not competed in the Louisville Classic in five years, the fourth-place finish is the second-best team placement this season for the men’s team.
“I am excited about the future of this team and the momentum that we are gaining,” head coach Adam Bray said. “This team is moving in the right direction very quickly.”
The men’s team was led by freshman Mehki Williams, who finished with the top spot among the runners for the Owls on Saturday. Mehki Williams finished 18th individually, while freshman Koi Williams finished 26th. The pair posted the top two times for KSU.
Mehki Williams and Koi Williams have posted the top times in the three events so far this year for KSU, with Koi Williams posting the top time at the Bulldog Invitational, and Mehki Williams leading the team at the Commodore Classic.
Every runner for the men’s team reached personal bests, with Mehki Williams finishing the race at 25:06.47 and Koi Williams crossing the line at 25:16.06.
“Our men were put into the Blue race today and were able to execute our plan just like the women did before them,” Bray said. “The guys all had massive personal bests, placed high overall in their race and competed with an intensity.”
For the women’s team, junior Katie Meyer led the Owls in the women’s 5K on Saturday. She finished 42nd individually with a time of 17:48.60. In all three of the cross country events this year for KSU, Meyer has posted the top time for the Owls.
All the runners for the women’s team posted personal bests, however senior Rachel VanAmburgh had to leave during the race due to injury.
“Unfortunately, VanAmburgh had an injury and had to drop out mid-race,” Bray said. “Our team score is not a reflection of how well they raced.”
As the teams prepare for the Blazer invite, KSU will be relying on the stability of its top runners. While Mekhi Williams and Koi Williams have been anchors for the men’s team and Meyer for the women’s, the other runners will look to carry the load as the season prolongs.
Following the event for the men’s and women’s teams, the Owls will compete in the Blazer Invite, hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Friday, Oct. 18.
