App State men’s cross country finished first and the women’s team placed second at the Firetower Project Run in Boone Friday.
Sophomore Aaron Kidd paced the men’s team with a first-place finish in the 8K, crossing the line under 25 minutes. He was backed by a deep Mountaineer pack that filled majority of the top 10, including sophomore Noah Martinson finishing with a new personal best of 24:54.6, redshirt senior Chase Burrell, senior Ethan Lipham, sophomore Thomas Wlazlowski and junior Derek Waite all finishing within seconds of one another to lock in the team’s lowest score of the season.
On the women’s side, sophomore Breanna Budzinski led the group, breaking her personal record in the 6K and placing inside the top 10. Freshmen Elizabeth McCart, Josie Jackson, Tessa Massa and Ashby Williams followed close behind, all gaining new personal bests to help App State secure second overall in the team standings.
The Mountaineers will wrap up their regular season Oct. 17 at the Princeton Fall Classic in New Jersey.