MADISON, Wis. - Sophomore Kyle Stacks and junior Krista Parks led the Central Michigan men’s and women’s cross country teams, respectively, as a number of the teams’ top runners made their season debut at the Badger Opener Friday evening.
Stacks finished runner-up with a time of 18:52 in the unscored 6k meet to lead the men’s team, just two seconds behind winner Alex Brill of Wisconsin.
Senior Jason Drudge finished eighth overall in 19:16, and senior Matt Lutzke finished 10th in 19:25.
The race was the first of the season for Stacks and Drudge.
Sophomores Ethan Lievense and Tanner Pesonen finished 11th and 12th, respectively. Lievense completed the course in 19:51, while Pesonen crossed the line in 19:55.
Parks led the women with a seventh-place showing in 17:59, which is a new personal best for her in a cross country 5k race. She finished in a pack of six runners who were all competing for a runner-up spot - unattached runner Caitlyn Comfort won the race in 17:24, but the second-fastest time was 17:54.
Senior Maddie Ribant also ran a career-best 18:21 5k time en route to a 16th-place finish.
Freshman Bailey Parmelee finished in 18:35 in her first collegiate race as a CMU runner.
Freshman Brooke Morgan, senior Veronica Garcia and redshirt freshman Alyssa Dyer finished 23rd, 24th and 25th, respectively. Morgan crossed in 18:41, followed closely by Garcia and Dyer in 18:42. Garcia’s time is a cross country 5k career best.
The Chippewas travel to East Lansing, Mich., for the Spartan Invitational Friday, Sep. 14.
