DANVILLE, Ala. - The Eagle and Lady Eagle harriers ran one of the most efficient and decorated meets in program history on Saturday in the Firehawk Invitational, which primarily featured SSAC teams in addition to Miles College and Northwest Shoals Community College. All but two of Faulkner's 12 runners set personal records, while the men finished in third place out of five teams with 59 points in the 8K, both the best in program history, and the women came in fourth of six with 109 points in the 6K, tied for the program's best 6K finish and logging the second-best overall time and 6K finish percentage in Lady Eagle Cross Country history.
Chase Lawson, a transfer from Northwest Shoals, finished ninth overall out of 42 runners with a personal record 27:15 time, good for the sixth-best 8K time and finish percentage and eighth-best overall finish percentage in program history. His finish marks just the third top 10 8K finish in men's program history after fourth- and eighth-place finishes last season by David Robles. Cole Charles came in 13th with a 28:20 time. Creed Spivey was two spots behind him with a 28:36 as he shaved 32 seconds off his previous personal best mark. Carson Roberson finished just one back of Spivey with a 28:52, whittling his personal best down by 42 seconds. Christopher Santoyo was 18th, two spots back of Roberson, with a PR of 29:22. Kayden Pierce was one spot behind Santoyo with a 29:27, decreasing his PR time by a full three minutes. James Brooks finished 34th with a 35:39, logging a new PR by 1:21.
Avery Rogers led the Lady Eagles with a 16th place finish and a 6K PR of 24:44, the seventh-best 6K time in program history and the best by any Faulkner women's runner not named Chloe Helms. Mallory Lawyer finished 22nd with a 25:56 and Lacy Strength was just one spot behind her with a 25:59, both logging PRs in their first collegiate 6K. Sarah Lorimor cut 36 seconds off her previous best 6K time for a 29:14 as the 31st finisher, and Claudia Velazquez finished the day for the Lady Eagles 10 spots behind Lorimor with a 34:29.
The teams have a few weeks off before returning to action on October 16 for the Watson Collegiate Cross Country Classic, their final regular season meet before the SSAC Championship is held at the same course in Jackson, Miss., on November 6.
