Mont Alto Women's Cross Country team takes first

The Men's and Women's Cross Country team hosted the Penn State Mont Alto Invitational on Saturday October 1^st.  More than 60 runners lined up for a 1:15 p.m. start to begin the race on Mont Alto's challenging course.  Despite the rain and temperature in the mid 50's, the runners made their way up and down the hills and through the terrain. 

The Mont Alto women beat Penn State Fayette by one point, claiming the first place spot on their 5K home course.  Freshman Laura Caudill finished second in the PSUAC and first for Mont Alto with a time of 23:51.  Also earning a medal for Mont Alto was Sophomore Jennie Diehl, placing second for Mont Alto and third in the PSUAC.  Crystal Wagner also placed in the top five, coming in third for the Mont Alto women and fifth for the PSUAC. 

The Mont Alto men placed second overall in the PSUAC as they ran an 8K race.  Freshman Ryan Hatton placed third for the PSUAC and was the first Mont Alto runner to cross the finish line with a time of 33:51.  Matt Martino was not far behind, coming in fourth overall and second for Mont Alto at 34:18.

"I am very proud of the team; they prepared the course for today and spent a lot of time doing course walks before the race.  They were great leaders and came out in the rain and ran with a lot of heart and soul," head Coach Ashley Jacobs comments.  "As a team they have trained a lot this season, their dedication is paying off!"