HOUGHTON, N.Y. — Houghton University hosted its annual Highlander Invitational on Saturday, welcoming a strong field of collegiate cross country teams to the Field of Dreams XC Course. Both the Houghton men's and women's squads delivered stellar performances on their home turf, highlighted by a strong team podium finish for the women.
Women's Team Shines with Third-Place Finish
The Houghton women's cross country team put together an impressive race in the 6K event, placing third overall out of 11 teams with 78 points and a tight 1-5 spread of 1:43.5.
- Emberlynn Nolt led the charge for the Highlanders, crossing the finish line fifth overall with a time of 22:39.2.
- Aria Larson followed closely, securing 12th place individually in 23:27.0.
- Risa Palmer put up a strong run to finish 15th overall with a time of 23:35.0.
- Jenna Binney crossed in 20th place at 23:51.3, while Amy Collins rounded out the scoring pack for Houghton by taking 30th overall in 24:22.7.
Men's Team Battles Hard in Competitive 8K Field
In the men's 8K race, the Highlanders faced a massive 13-team field and battled to a seventh-place team finish with 176 points, recording a solid 1-5 spread of 1:04.5.
- Henry Sardina paced the Houghton men, breaking the tape for the team by finishing 23rd overall with a time of 26:08.6.
- Luke Ellis ran a strong race to place 35th overall in 26:26.6.
- Connor Little crossed shortly after in 42nd place with a time of 26:40.2.
- Kurt Akins (59th, 27:08.6) and Evan Geer (61st, 27:13.0) completed the scoring configuration for the Highlanders' top five.
The Highlanders will look to carry the momentum from their successful home invite as they prepare for the Geneseo Mike Woods Invite next Friday.
