WHEELING, W.Va. — The West Liberty University men's cross country team delivered one of its strongest collective performances of the season Saturday morning, finishing fifth overall at the Mountain East Conference Championships hosted at Oglebay Resort.

The Hilltoppers packed tightly through their top five scorers to post 148 team points, just behind Concord (122) and ahead of Point Park (157) and Glenville State (162), in a deep and competitive MEC field.

Leading the way for West Liberty was senior Robert Allen, who placed 19th overall with a time of 27:07.97 on the 8-kilometer course, earning second team All-MEC. Francis Toohey wasn't far behind, clocking 27:15.33 to take 23rd place, giving the Hilltoppers a strong 1-2 punch near the front of the field.

Jasper Brown continued his consistent season with a 27th-place finish (27:42.27), while Zachary Workman (28:28.87) and Michael Niggemyer (28:41.29) closed out the team's scoring in 37th and 42nd, respectively. Shepherd Richey (28:46.60) and Landen Davis (29:18.78) provided valuable depth, finishing just outside the scoring positions.

The University of Charleston captured the team title with 27 points, sweeping the top four individual spots led by individual champion Hugo Hewitt (25:50.25). Davis & Elkins (47 points) and West Virginia Wesleyan (103) rounded out the top three.

The Hilltoppers will now turn their attention to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championships, set for November 8 in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

West Liberty Results – MEC Championships (8K)

Team Finish: 5th of 10 (148 points)