LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Malone University cross country traveled to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania for the Go Fast River run on Saturday. The course is a peaceful cornfield in the valleys of the Appalachian Mountains, which generates many personal records. The women placed 14th of 25 teams, and the men were fifth out of 22 squads.
 
The women raced first and all but one runner set their personal best in the race. Senior Rachel Whetstone was the leading Pioneer who ran a 6k time of 22:27, which was followed up by Brooklyn McIntyre, who crossed the line at 23:16. Carolyn Miller had a big race today to set her personal best by 47 seconds at 23:21. The fourth and fifth runners also had personal bests in Karrah Singleton and Marisa Brown at 23:29 and 23:34, respectively.
 
The team had a really good mindset going into the race," freshman Grace McPherson mentioned post-race. Her great mindset led her to a 90-second personal best.

The men were next and they were out like their lives depended on it. So fast, they may have possibly set their own personal bests in the mile. While they did fall off the blazing pace, the battle cry of Wyatt Royster, with a mile to go, energized the men to a strong finish in fifth.
 
The men were led by Yahya Jawadi. His personal best in another teammate's spikes was an 8k time of 24:47, good for seventh in the program's NCAA DII era. Wyatt Royster was next, finishing only eight seconds under 25 minutes (24:52) and tenth in the NCAA DII era. The duo of seniors, Xander Heil and Alex Hill, also broke the 25-minute barrier crossing the line at 24:56. Hill now holds the 15th-fastest time since 2012.
 
For the Pioneers, this was a step-in growth, like an apple that starts in a blossom, to green, then to fully red. The team is showing signs of being green still, while showing signs of red starting to grow in. The only questions we will need to ask as a Malone Cross Country fan is when is the team going to be fully ripen, and ready to be an amazing apple?
 
The team hopes to continue to grow and ripen as they have reached the postseason. They will be traveling to a familiar course on the season. The runners return to Hedges Boyer Park for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Cross Country Championship meet in Tiffin, Ohio on November 7.