The Emory men's and women's cross country teams opened their 2018 seasons on Friday, Aug. 31, at the Watermelon Run hosted by Berry College.
The men's side finished first out of three teams with 19 points. Oglethorpe (49 pts.) and Berry (69 pts.) rounded out the field. The Eagles registered six of the top seven overall finishers, led by junior Sam Branson who paced the 51-runner field by clocking an 8K time of 26:24. Sophomore Matt Dillon was the second Emory performer and third overall to cross the finish line with an effort of 26:56. Rounding out the team's scorers were senior Bennett Shaw (27:05), sophomore Jack Whetstone (27:14) and senior Ryan Fan (27:14).
The women's unit topped Berry, totaling 17 points to the Vikings' 46 points. The Eagles claimed the top three overall finishers out of 40 entries, led by senior Kaylee Slade's 6K effort of 23:23. The sophomore tandem of Carrie McIntyre (23:52) and Susie Martin (24:10) placed second and third, respectively, while freshman Angela Cao (5th place, 24:28) and junior Meredith Hughes (6th place, 24:31) accounted for the remaining scoring.
The No. 19-ranked men and 25th-ranked women return to action on Saturday, September 15, when they compete at the Furman Classic.