DENVER – The MSU Denver cross country teams put together solid efforts on their home course Saturday, competing against a strong regional field at the annual Roadrunners Invitational at Washington Park.
The Roadrunners placed third overall as team in the men's 8k race (104 points), while the women placed fifth overall (135 points).
In the men's 8K, the Roadrunners packed tightly up front, with Darren Hayden (16th, 25:46.62) leading the way. He was followed closely by twins Jordan Duran (17th, 25:48.84) and Jonathan Duran (18th, 25:49.01), giving MSU Denver three finishers in the top 20.
Shota Yabuuchi (29th, 26:21.31) and Charlie Geisler (53rd, 27:00.92) completed the scoring five, while Elijah Garcia, Eisen Dacus, Gustavo Rivera-Castillo, and Wells Stucker also turned in solid runs.
On the women's side, Constance O'Neal led the Roadrunners with a standout top-10 finish, placing 8th overall in 22:16.98. Paige Tack followed in 14th (22:32.79), with Tanis Chavez (27th, 23:15.66), Alexa McAfee (44th, 23:44.02) and Ellie Shaw (46th, 23:49.06) rounding out the scoring lineup.
Peyton Meier, Avanti Wadhwa, Abi Read, Payton Rusk, Rachel Wheeler, and Alexandra Doumanov provided additional depth across the 6K course.
The invitational gave both Roadrunners squads valuable experience against high-level competition while showcasing their depth in front of a home crowd.
MSU Denver will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 27, traveling to Colorado Springs for the Ted Castaneda Classic.
MSU Denver Results
Men's 8K
Women's 6K
• 10. Alexandra Doumanov – 26:32.70
