DENVER, Colo. – A team of seven University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's cross country competitors and three men's runners headed up North to MSU Denver today to run in the 2021 Roadrunners XC Invitational.  The women's team finished sixth with 159 while the men's squad did not register a team score.
 
INSIDE THE MSUD ROADRUNNERS INVITATIONAL

• Location: Washington Park | Denver, Colo.
• Course Length: 8K (men), 6k (women)

AROUND THE COURSE

• On the men's side, Justin Banta, Troy Cournoyer and Luke Rodriguez represented the Mountain Lions. Rodriguez paced the group with a 44^th place finish in 26:50.8, followed by Banta's time of 27:20.2 for a 54^th place finish.  Cournoyer crossed the finish line in 27:46.2, just five spots behind Banta. 
• Eight women's teams competed in the 6k race with Colorado School of Mines besting all eight teams with 27 points.
• Leading the pack of Mountain Lions was Kelsey Rycenga in a time of 23:16.4, just five seconds off her personal best time.  Rycenga finished 22^nd overall and was followed by Rachel Richtman who posted a time of 23:45.7 to finish 33^rd overall.
• Emily Gentry earned 31 points for the Mountain Lions with a 43^rd place finish in 24:21.8.  Rounding out the UCCS scorers were Nadine Almasri in 24:59.3 (54^th place) and Elizabeth Richter in 56^th place (25:06).  Finishing sixth and seventh for UCCS was Liz Bindert (57^th place, 25:07.7) and Michela Hewitt (82^nd place, 29:56.7).

WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES
1          Colorado School of Mines - 27
2          Colorado State - 40
3          Colorado Christian - 76
4          MSU Denver - 104
5          Fort Hays State - 143
6          UCCS - 159
7          Wyoming - 186
8          Regis - 242
 
RACE LEADERS

• The women's 6k race was won by Colorado State's Megan Mooney in 21:21.9.  Chris Cathcart from Colorado School of Mines set a new course record to win the men's race in 24:16.9.

BEYOND THE FINISH LINE

• Four Mountain Lions set personal best times on the women's side as they competed in their first varsity race for UCCS – Nadine Almasri, Liz Bindert, Michela Hewitt and Elizabeth Richter.

UP NEXT

• A group of seven men's cross country runners will head to Kenosha, Wis. tomorrow for the UWP Lucian Rosa 8K Invitational, hosted by the University of Wisconsin Parkside at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course.
• The women's squad will be back in action Oct. 2 in Louisville, Ky. for the Live In Lou Classic.

 
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.