BETHANY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University men's cross country team put four runners in the top 10 and finished second in the team standings Saturday at the Bethany Invitational.

The Hilltoppers finished with 52 points, just six points behind team champion St. Vincent (Pa.), which posted 46 points. Washington & Jefferson placed third with 75 points.

Sophomore Lance Busse led the way for West Liberty, placing fourth overall in the 8K with a time of 29:25.0. Busse was followed closely by sophomore Shepherd Richey, who finished seventh in 29:35.4.

Sophomore Finlay Lorimer added a ninth-place finish in 29:39.8, while sophomore Michael Niggemyer rounded out the Hilltoppers' scoring five with a 10th-place finish in 29:47.4. West Liberty's top four runners all finished within 22.4 seconds of one another.

Freshman Hadden Garvin was the Hilltoppers' fifth scorer, crossing the finish line in 31:51.8 to place 22nd overall. Freshman James Erlandson was close behind in 23rd at 31:56.9, while junior Seth Krocker placed 50th in 36:18.8.

West Liberty's four top-10 finishers helped the Hilltoppers post a team average of 30:03.9, with a team spread of 2:26.8 between their first and fifth scorers.

The Hilltoppers will return to action on Sept. 25 when they travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., for the Atlantic Region Preview Meet at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex.



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.