COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A select group of MSU Denver cross country runners represented the Roadrunners on Friday at the UCCS Open, with three women and two men taking on the hilly, late-season course in Colorado Springs. The meet served as a tune-up ahead of the team's next split-squad appearance, as the rest of the roster is set to compete Saturday at the Old Glory Gallop in Dallas.

In the women's 6K, Avanti Wadhwa led the Roadrunners with a 35th-place finish, clocking a time of 24 minutes, 8 seconds. Just behind her, Alexandra Doumano crossed in 36th at 24:27.9, followed closely by Rachel Wheeler, who finished 37th with a time of 24:31.3. The trio ran in tight formation throughout the race, pacing each other through the challenging elevation and late-season conditions.

On the men's side, Elijah Garcia placed 47th overall in the 8K with a time of 28:01.8, leading the way for MSU Denver. Braden Medina followed with a 57th-place finish, clocking 28:58.5 to round out the men's efforts in Colorado Springs.

The Roadrunners will be back in action Saturday as the remaining members of the squad head south to Dallas, Texas, for the Old Glory Gallop, continuing MSU Denver's final stretch of competition before the RMAC Championships later this month.