Utah State's cross country teams achieved a clean sweep of both individual and team titles at the Utah State Alumni Challenge in Logan, Utah, according to a September 5 report.
Senior Jedidiah Megargel won the men's 7K race with a time of 20:47.84, while senior Natalie Swain secured the women's 5K title with a time of 17:59.42.
The men's team finished with 25 points, including three of the top five positions. Senior Walker Cole placed third with a time of 21:01.39, and senior Joshua Armstrong finished fourth with a time of 21:04.43. Graduate LJ Floyd placed eighth, while senior Michael Moffat was the final Aggie scorer.
Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Artie Gulden stated that the race was uncertain until the final several hundred meters, noting that the moves by Cole and Armstrong secured the victory for the team.
In the women's race, the team scored the minimum 15 points by locking out the top six positions. Following Swain, junior Ava Trimble placed second, followed by senior Brie Smith in third, sophomore Hailey Shakespear in fourth, and senior Shelby Jensen in fifth. Freshman Lucy Boone finished sixth in her collegiate debut.
Ten athletes made their Aggie debuts at the meet, including freshman Aidan Neal and sophomores Omar Alsaidi and Tayshaun Ogomo for the men. The women's newcomers included Lucy Boone, Mia Taylor, Addy Duellman, Reese Garnica, Cami McCauley, Emma Morrow, and Avery Moore.
Separately, senior Joshua McKee won the 5K race at the Mike Baumer XC Classic in Dayton, Ohio, recording a personal best time of 15:02.70. Gulden noted the significance of the win for McKee, who was racing near his family.
The Aggies will take a week off before the men compete in the John McNicols Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Terre Haute, Indiana. The women's team is scheduled to compete in the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri, on Friday, Sept. 25.
