BETHANY, W.Va. — The West Liberty University men's and women's cross country teams will return to familiar territory Saturday as they compete in the Mountain East Conference Cross Country Championships at the Bethany Cross Country Course. The men's 8-kilometer championship is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., followed by the women's 6K at 10:30 a.m. The awards ceremony is set for 11:30 a.m.

Both Hilltopper teams have experience on the course, having opened their seasons at the Bethany Invitational on Sept. 12. West Liberty's men turned in a strong performance, placing second overall with 52 points, just six behind team champion Saint Vincent. The Hilltoppers placed four runners in the top 10, led by Lance Busse in fourth place with a time of 29:25.0. Shepherd Richey finished seventh, Finlay Lorimer placed ninth and Michael Niggemyer was 10th.

The women also enjoyed one of their best performances of the season at Bethany, finishing fourth overall. Senior Lacey Dimit led the way with a seventh-place finish in 24:52.0, while freshman Kaylee Onder placed 15th in 25:35.7 and sophomore Naomi Young finished 18th in 25:53.1.

West Liberty's most recent competition came Oct. 24 at the Lock Haven Go Fast meet. The men's team finished 17th among 22 teams, with Niggemyer leading the Hilltoppers in 109th place in 26:07.8. Busse followed in 148th, while Lorimer placed 151st. The women finished 20th in a field of 25 teams, led by Dimit's 92nd-place finish in 23:38.9. Josie Lesnansky, Onder and Young followed closely, giving the Hilltoppers four runners across the finish line within 40 seconds of one another.

Head coach Michael Guinn II believes the men's team has made steady progress throughout the season and will look to keep its pack together against a competitive conference field.
"We've had a lot of personal records this year," Guinn said. "We've seen improvement each week, and I think we're closing the gap each week."

Guinn believes several teams in the conference are closely matched, making the championship race an opportunity for West Liberty to compete for position. He noted that a strong performance from the entire group will be important as the Hilltoppers look to put together their best team result.

On the women's side, West Liberty will look to build around Dimit's experience and the continued development of its younger runners. Onder has put together a strong freshman campaign, while Lesnansky has continued to progress throughout the season. Guinn hopes the group can work together and stay close to Dimit as the race unfolds.

"Kaylee's having a great freshman campaign," Guinn said. "Her and Josie are getting closer and closer to Lacey."

Guinn also praised Dimit's impact on the program, calling the senior "a superstar for our program." Dimit has continued to provide leadership while balancing the demands of her final season with her nursing studies and clinical schedule.

The conference's preseason coaches' polls selected Charleston as the men's favorite and Davis & Elkins as the women's favorite. West Liberty was picked sixth in the men's poll and eighth in the women's poll.

With both squads returning to a course where they have already produced strong team performances this season, the Hilltoppers will look to carry their progress into the postseason and finish the conference campaign with a strong showing.

The Mountain East Conference Championship schedule begins with the men's 8K at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by the women's 6K at 10:30 a.m. Awards will be presented at 11:30 a.m.





West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at westliberty.edu.