COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Layla Almasri shattered the course record by 16 seconds to win the 14^th UCCS Rust Buster.  Almasri and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's cross country team won the six-team 5k race with 36 points, edging Colorado State University Pueblo by 10 points.

INSIDE THE 14^th ANNUAL UCCS RUST BUSTER

• Location: Monument Valley Park | Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Course Length: 5k

AROUND THE COURSE

• Almasri crossed the finish line in 17:31.5 and was joined by Kate Hedlund (18:13.9) and Hannah Ellis (18:17.1) who finished third and fifth, respectively.

• Freshman Sarah Bassett came in 12^th overall and fourth on the Mountain Lions team to score 12 points and earn a time of 18:46.3.  Not far behind Bassett was freshman Kelsey Rycenga in 15^th place with a time of 18:55.6.

• Rounding out the Mountain Lions top seven were junior Ashley Frye (19:08.6) and freshman Mason Ingallinera (19:20.5).

TEAM SCORES

PL	Team	Score
1	UC-Colo. Spgs.	36
2	CSU-Pueblo	46
3	MSU Denver	65
4	Colorado Mesa	79
5	Colorado College	132
6	Regis (Colo.)	180

 
RACE LEADERS

• Almasri's time of 17:31.10 put her name in front of Zoe Baker (Colorado School of Mines) on the UCCS Rust Buster leader's list.  Baker's previous time of 17:47.10 was set in 2019.

BEYOND THE FINISH LINE

• The Mountain Lions are ranked No. 12 in the USTFCCCA Division II national poll, and No. 4 in the South Central Region.

• Seven Mountain Lions ran to a new 5K personal-best times this morning, along with three freshmen running in their first collegiate meet.  Setting new PR times this morning was Almasri, Nadine Almasri (20:14.5), Bassett, Hedlund, Michela Hewett (21:59.8), Rycenga and Ingallinera.  Competing in their first collegiate race were Liz Bindert (20:41.6), Rachel Goodrich (20:03.6) and Elizabeth Richter (21:27.6).

UP NEXT

• The Mountain Lions will return to competition on Sept. 17 when they travel to Denver, Colo. for the MSU Denver Roadrunner 6K Invitational, held at Washington Park.  UCCS will then open the month of October at the Live Lou Cross Country 5K Classic on Oct. 2 in Louisville, Ky.

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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.