By: Michael MacEachern
Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications
OAKWOOD, Ga. | The Georgia College & State University women's cross country team captured the UNG Cross Country Invitational hosted by the University of North Georgia Friday (Sept. 12) evening.
The Bobcats, who won their first team title since winning their Bobcat Invitational back in 2022, finished with 45 points as the top five GCSU runners finished inside the top 15 to best 15 other teams. GCSU edged Peach Belt Conference rival North Georgia for the team title by eight points.
Lauren Thisdale was the top runner for the Bobcats as she finished the 5K UNG Cross Country Course with a time of 18:50.1, good for third place. Teammate
Bella Russell set a personal best time of 19:00.3 to finish fourth.
Haven Bejnerowicz earned a top-10 finish as she came in 10th with a time of 19:25.3
Lorena Cazora finished in 13th place at 19:36.1, while Abbue Brown came in 15th at 19:43.5.
Izzy Hall and
Emma Jow also established new benchmarks as they finished in 32nd and 33rd place. Hall had a time of 20:45.6, while Jow posted a time of 20:51.6.
Maddie Reese Smith came in 42nd place at 21:01.9 and was followed by
Eva Jeswald (21.04.8, 43rd),
Lily Flood (21:36.8, 53rd),
Briley Ittel (22:04.6, 59th),
Campbell Smith (22:30.6, 64th) and
Lauren Hailey (22:38.1, 69th). Flood and Ittel posted personal best times.
The Bobcats return to action in two weeks when they host the Bobcat Invitational at 5 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Bobcat Cross Country Course. The meet will also serve as a preview to the PBC Championship that the Bobcats will host in October.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for four consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won five consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to theÂ
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