BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Central Missouri cross country teams began the 2024 season at the SBU Bearcat Invitational on Friday, Sept. 6, from the Bolivar Golf Course in Bolivar, Mo.
 
The Mules finished in third place with all scoring runners placing in the top-30 including a pair of top-10 finishers in seniors Luke Engel (finished fifth with a time of 20:12.44) and Cooper Palmer (with a time of 20:32.10 finished eighth) in the four mile race.
 
Junior Alejandro Malave placed 14^th with a time of 20:57.75 while sophomore Clay Pilliard (time of 21:00.29) placed 16^th and junior Evan Finger rounded out the scoring for UCM crossing the finish line in 21:20.70 in 25^th position out of 151 runners.
 
On the women's side, the Jennies placed eighth as a team in the 5k race highlighted by a pair of top-30 finishers in freshman Clara Lackman (time of 19:48.76) in 22^nd place and junior Chloee Belgum placed 30^th with a time of 20:14.96.
 
Sophomore Callie Manning completed the race in 45^th place with a time of 21:14.38, while freshman Kayli Cameron placed 56th (time of 22:24.74) and sophomore Alana Osborn (time of 22:41.94) rounded out the scoring in 60^th out of 115 runners.     
 
The Mules and Jennies continue the 2024 campaign on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers from Les Bolstad Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn.