ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Central Missouri cross country teams continued their 2024 season at the Griffon Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 5, from the MWSU Cross Country Course in St. Joseph, Mo.
 
The Mules finished in third-place out of seven teams in the 8k race with a pair of top-10 finishes from Kipkabus, Kenya native Cosmas Kipop (time of 23:58.5) in second position while senior Cooper Palmer crossed the finish line in ninth matching his personal-best time of 24:54.5.
 
Senior Luke Engel finished in 18th with a personal-best time of 25:18.8, while Kansas City, Mo., native Brady Maher crossed the finish line in 25^th position with a personal-best time of 25:42.6 and sophomore Clay Pilliard rounded out the scoring for UCM with a personal-best time of 25:48.1 finishing in 27^th place.
 
 
On the women's side, the Jennies placed eighth as a team in the 5k race highlighted by a top-25 finisher in freshman Abigael Kimurgor who placed 22nd with a time of 19:11.54 while freshman Clara Lackman finished in 20:20.8, good enough for 35^th position.
 
Rounding out the scoring for Central Missouri was sophomore Callie Manning (48^th place with a time of 21:30.5), O'Fallon, Mo., native Kayli Cameron (with a time of 23:07) in 58^th place, and junior Alana Osborn with a time of 23:30.6 in 60^th.  
     
 
The Mules and Jennies continue the 2024 campaign on Friday, Oct. 11, at the Emporia State Invitational beginning at 4:00 p.m. from Jones Park Cross Country Course in Emporia, Kan.