CARMEL, Ind. - After almost 30 weeks since the Greyhounds stepped on the starting line, the UIndy cross country teams were able to compete at the GLVC Triangular meet at the Northview Church on Friday for the season opener. Not only did the Hounds claim an individual victory, but there were several other bright spots throughout the results as the women placed second as a team, while the men finished third. Their conference opponents consisted of Lewis and Southern Indiana.

Lauren Bailey kicked off her senior campaign with a first-place finish in the women's 5K, ending her race on a final time of 17:07.1. Friday improved Bailey's personal record by almost 21 seconds from the Ray Bullock Invitational last season. Melissa Spencer slid her way into a top-three spot at the Triangular, besting the fourth-place finisher by 13 seconds to cross the line in 19:06.3 – good for a half-minute drop on her PR. Hannah Stein (seventh; 19:53.5) and Savannah Huben (10th; 20:02.0) were the other Greyhounds featured inside the women's top 10.

The men's 6K featured a tight race where the first three spots were decided by just 13 seconds. Nathan Herbst battled for the third-place spot in the event to pace the Hounds, nailing a new personal best of 18:54.1. Herbst wouldn't be the only UIndy runner to eclipse a PR, as senior Kieffer Vittetow provided a strong performance with his 19:10.4 time to place seventh overall. Chris Switzer (10th; 19:24.4) and Jacob Stamm (11th; 19:31.8) also delivered top-15 finishes.

UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will look towards the GLVC East Division Race in two weeks, where they'll compete for a chance to run at the 2020 GLVC Cross Country Championships. Set for Oct. 10 in Springfield, Ill., the top four teams from the East will qualify for the A-race at the upcoming GLVC Championships.