HARRISONBURG, Va. - On a beautiful, clear evening, the Southern Virginia University men's cross country team put together a strong performance on a challenging course to win its season opener at the Eastern Mennonite Heritage Invitational.

Competition took place on a 5K course, a drop down from the men's typical 8K distance at the collegiate level, but serves as a quality tune-up ahead of a busy fall of training. 

From the gun, Junior Joseph Hughes and freshman Taylor Weiland quickly asserted themselves at the front, providing the Knights with a strong one-two punch. Gary Rogers and Carter Johnson competed well in the chase pack and displaced several top runners from other teams.

In the final mile, the top spot became a battle between teammates as the duo of Hughes and Weiland pushed each other to the very end. Hughes, a returning all-region performer, would cross the line first in a time of 16:27, just one second ahead of Weiland.

Rogers and Johnson would also finish the day inside the top ten, while Easton Higley and Truman Meyer provided quality depth for the first place Knights.

With a total of 31 points, Southern Virginia defeated its next closest competitor by eight points. It's the second time the Knights have emerged victorious at this particular event in three tries, winning the inaugural meet in 2021. The individual victory marks Hughes first cross country win in an already decorated career.

Looking Ahead

The team will now shift its focus to the Cantello Invitational hosted by Navy on September 13th. 

For the most up-to-date details and information on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightxctf on Instagram.