HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Black Hills State University men's and women's cross country teams traveled across the country to compete on Saturday morning and brought back a pair of top-10 team finishes from the UAH Chargers Invitational. The men's team notched a ninth place finish with 270 points in the 36-team field, edging one national qualifier from a year ago in Mississippi College who rounded out the top-10. In the women's race, the Yellow Jackets rounded out the top-10 with 324 points, besting a pair of 2023 national qualifying teams in Lee and Mississippi College in the 34-team field.
 
Leading BHSU in the men's race was Gavin Kuhlenbeck who broke the school's 8K record with a time of 23:57.6 and recorded his third consecutive top-5 finish with a fifth place mark in the field of 336 athletes. In the women's race it was once again returning national qualifier, Sylvia Brown, who led Black Hills State with her third consecutive top-10 finish to start the year. Her eighth place finish in the field of 272 athletes resulted in the second-best 6K time in program history at 21:14.2.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

• Posting the fastest 8K time in Black Hills State history and recording the first-ever sub-24 minute time at the distance was Gavin Kuhlenbeck who ran to a fifth place finish with a career-best time of 23:57.6. It was his third consecutive top-5 finish to begin the season.
• Addison Red Fox and Braik Hurm were the next pair to cross the finish line John Hunt Park, finishing within one second of each other. Red Fox posted a career-best time of 24:56.5 for 46^th place, while Hurm's career-best time of 24:57.1 for 49^th place.
• The next grouping of Yellow Jackets was Marcos Valerio, Dominic Eberle, Justyn France, David Standish, and Turner Christians who each recorded times within 21 seconds of each other. With each runner notching career-best 8K times, Valerio recorded a time of 25:24.4 for 87^th place, Eberle recorded a time of 25:25.2 for 89^th place, France recorded a time of 25:32.1 for 99^th place, Standish recorded a time of 25:38.5 for 104^th place, and Christians recorded a time of 25:45.4 for 115^th place.
• Rounding out the BHSU lineup was Landrum Wiley, one of just two freshmen to make the trip out east with the Yellow Jackets, as he turned in a career-best 8K time of 26:18.8 for 164^th place.

BLACK HILLS STATE MEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Place	Name	Time	Points
5.	Gavin Kuhlenbeck	23:57.60	5
46.	Addison Red Fox	24:56.50	45
49.	Braik Hurm	24:57.10	48
87.	Marcos Valerio	25:24.40	81
89.	Dominic Eberle	25:25.20	83
99.	Justyn France	25:32.10	92
104.	David Standish	25:38.50	97
115.	Turner Christians	25:45.40
164.	Landrum Wiley	26:18.80

 
MEN'S TEAM RESULTS

Team	Total Points	Team Scoring
1. #7 Chico State	45	4-8-9-11-13-(14)-(23)
2. #15 Alabama-Huntsville	92	2-12-16-19-43-(49)-(55)
3. #22 Pittsburg State	116	6-7-30-35-38-(41)-(62)
4. Concordia (Irvine)	213	17-25-39-44-88-(99)-(102)
5. #29 Florida Southern	214	18-27-46-58-65-(74)-(87)
6. Oklahoma Baptist	224	20-22-34-57-91-(104)-(112)
7. Harding	227	1-29-52-69-76-(95)-(96)
8. #8 Lee	239	15-40-51-54-79-(201)
9. Black Hills State	262	5-45-48-81-83-(92)-(97)
10. Mississippi College	266	21-31-47-67-100-(105)-(135)
11. Tampa	271	33-36-42-66-94-(117)-(118)
12. San Marcos	289	10-64-68-72-75-(84)-(90)
13. Westmont	323	3-53-77-89-101-(109)-(116)
14. SCAD Atlanta	391	28-60-61-119-123-(126)-(166)
15. Lincoln Memorial	465	24-80-85-114-162-(169)-(176)
16. UNC Pembroke	493	70-78-103-110-132-(134)-(149)
17. Mobile	525	71-86-108-120-140-(157)-(160)
18. Florida Tech	541	50-73-133-137-148-(173)-(181)
19. Christian Brothers	548	37-59-131-144-177-(184)-(211)
20. UT Southern	583	32-130-136-142-143-(170)-(180)
21. Oklahoma Christian	588	106-111-121-122-128-(138)-(155)
22. Lees-McRae	622	63-93-141-158-167-(171)-(207)
23. West Alabama	636	56-98-147-153-182-(214)
24. Trevecca Nazarene	688	113-124-125-152-174-(206)-(208)
25. Reinhardt	688	115-127-129-139-178-(183)-(195)
26. Nova Southeastern	730	82-107-154-191-196-(200)
27. Morehouse	764	26-163-187-189-199-(223)
28. Valdosta State	858	145-151-172-185-205-(212)
29. Alabama A&M	887	161-164-165-193-204
30. Columbus State	898	146-156-190-197-209-(216)-(217)
31. Arkansas-Fort Smith	916	159-179-186-194-198-(202)-(203)
32. Florida College	964	150-168-213-215-218-(220)-(222)
33. Shelton State CC	1,007	175-188-192-224-228-(229)-(234)
34. Clark Atlanta	1,123	210-225-227-230-231-(235)-(236)
35. Northeast Mississippi	1,131	219-221-226-232-233-(237)

 
HOW IT HAPPENED – WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

• Sylvia Brown also continued a strong start to the season with her third consecutive top-10 finish, crossing the finish line in eighth place with a career-best 6K time of 21:14.2, which was also the second-fastest 6K time in Black Hills State history.
• Katelyn Krieger led a trio of Yellow Jackets that crossed the finish line within two seconds of each other, as she posted a career-best time of 22:40.1 for 80^th place, while freshman Emma Hofmeister was next with a career-best 6K time of 22:41.6 for 83^rd place, and Alexis Weiers was 84^th for a career-best time of 22:41.8. Evie Boyd was close behind the group, crossing the finish line in a career-best time of 22:48.3 for 90^th place.
• Rounding out the BHSU lineup in Huntsville was Abigail Robberson, Sierra Hopp, and Norah Entzi. Recording career-best times were Robberson with a 108^th place finish and time of 23:07.9, Hopp with a 123^rd place finish and time of 23:34.0, and Entzi with a 156^th place finish and time of 24:19.20. 

BLACK HILLS STATE WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Place	Name	Time	Points
8.	Sylvia Brown	21:14.20	7
80.	Katelyn Krieger	22:40.10	76
83.	Emma Hofmeister	22:41.60	78
84.	Alexis Weiers	22:41.80	79
90.	Evie Boyd	22:48.30	84
108.	Abigail Robberson	23:07.90	99
123	Sierra Hopp	23:34.00	110
156.	Norah Entzi	24:19.20

 
WOMEN'S TEAM RESULTS

Team	Total Points	Team Scoring
1. #16 Pittsburg State	62	4-10-11-17-20-(51)-(69)
2. #12 Chico State	67	2-3-8-24-30-(38)-(39)
3. #27 Cedarville	97	1-16-21-27-32-(40)-(49)
4. Nova Southeastern	173	5-12-31-61-64-(121)-(130)
5. Tampa	193	23-36-41-43-50-(53)-(68)
6. Concordia (Irvine)	202	15-34-42-52-59-(95)-(99)
7. Florida Southern	212	19-29-47-54-63-(74)-(83)
8. Point Loma	229	13-22-37-60-97-(101)-(124)
9. Lincoln Memorial	262	9-45-65-71-72-(75)-(120)
10. Black Hills State	324	7-76-78-79-84-(99)-(110)
11. San Marcos	325	26-33-73-88-105-(111)-(114)
12. Alabama-Huntsville	350	46-66-70-81-87-(89)-(102)
13. #13 Lee	351	25-48-62-107-109
14. Mississippi College	359	14-58-85-90-112-(118)-(142)
15. Oklahoma Christian	364	18-35-67-113-131
16. #25 SCAD Atlanta	443	6-82-96-116-143-(210)
17. UNC Pembroke	465	28-77-106-126-128-(161)-(197)
18. Harding	505	56-86-91-132-140-(141)-(160)
19. Arkansas-Fort Smith	547	44-80-135-138-150-(163)-(164)
20. Trevecca Nazarene	633	108-117-123-137-148-(174)-(178)
21. Valdosta State	646	94-100-139-155-158-(159)-(184)
22. UT-Southern	648	92-125-129-149-153-(169)-(171)
23. Christian Brothers	663	57-127-145-152-182
24. Lees-McRae	666	55-104-147-177-183-(195)
25. Alabama A&M	699	115-119-146-157-162-(185)
27. Mobile	765	133-136-156-167-173-(175)-(188)
28. #12 Shelton State CC	788	93-122-179-192-202
29. West Alabama	935	166-187-190-193-199
30. Delta State	952	176-186-189-194-207
31. Columbus State	954	172-180-191-203-208
32. Northeast Mississippi	979	168-196-200-206-209
33. Clark Atlanta	1,024	181-204-212-213-214-(215)-(218)
34. Florida College	1,031	198-201-205-211-216-(217)

 
UP NEXT
Black Hills State will have one weekend off before their next meet, the RMAC Cross Country Championships hosted by New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas, New Mexico, on Saturday, October 26. The men's 8K is slated for a 10:45 a.m. start, while the women's 6K is set for an 11:35 a.m. start at the Gene Torres Golf Course.