Jaguar men's cross-country team takes third at Queen City Invitational
By Maleigha Johnson | Sports writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The Augusta University men’s cross-country team took third at the Queen City Invitational on Sept. 12 at McAlpine Park.
The Jaguars finished as the fastest Division II men’s team in the field. Augusta’s top-five runners averaged 25 minutes and 36 seconds over the 8-kilometer course.
Leading the way was Nasrudin Mohamed with an eighth-place finish in 25 minutes and 8.4 seconds. He was followed by Andrew Helfers (14th), Gabriel Best (16th), Caleb Darsey (19th) and freshman Eli Corn (32nd).
Francisco Palacios, Benjamin Hall and Jackson Musto also turned in solid performances.
For his efforts, Mohamed, the senior from Grovetown High School, was named Peach Belt Conference runner of the week.
Augusta finished ahead of all other Division II opponents, including Fayetteville State, Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Jaguar women’s cross-country team placed ninth at the Queen City Invitational on the same day.
The Jaguars finished as the second-highest Division II team in the field. Augusta’s top five runners stayed tight, crossing within 29 seconds of one another with an average time of 19:28.
Freshman Gabriella Burton paced the Jaguars in 64th at 19:13.5. She was followed by senior Grace Gyetko, freshman Amelia Ogden, senior Josabeth Graciano and junior Elkin Regina.
The Jaguars also outperformed several regional rivals, including Wingate, USC Upstate and Peach Belt foes USC Aiken and Francis Marion.
Both Jaguar teams will look to build on its momentum Friday, Sept. 26, at the Bobcat Invitational in Milledgeville, Ga.
Contact Maleigha Johnson at mjohnson70@augusta.edu.
AU’s Madison Thomas (40) and Maria Biondollilo compete in the Queen City Invitational at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, N.C. At the top of the page, Nasrudin Mohamed, a Grovetown High School product, finished eighth in the men’s race and earned Peach Belt runner-of-the-week honors. (photos by Anna Biondollilo/special to the Bell Ringer)
