LEBANON, Ill. – The Southeast Missouri men's and women's cross country teams both finished first overall at the McKendree Bearcat Cross Country Classic Friday afternoon at the McKendree Bearcat Cross Country Course. 
 
Terrico Garrett won the men's 8K while Hannah Eastman placed first in the women's 5K to set the tone for the Redhawks. For both runners, it was their first career individual cross country titles. 
 
The Redhawk men accumulated 21 points to lead the way in the seven-team competition. On the women's side, SEMO compiled 18 points en route to a first-place team finish. 
 
Garrett completed the 8K race in a personal-best 25:35.53 while Eastman crossed the 5K finish line in a PR time of 18:41.29. 
 
For Garrett, the PR was his second of the season after a personal-best (18:59.2) in the men's 6K at the Redhawks Invitational (9/2). 
 
The Redhawk men had six runners in the top-nine and their top-five scorers finished first, third, fourth, fifth and eighth, respectively.
 
Noah Little and Connor Ayres placed third and fifth, respectively, both setting personal bests. Little crossed the line in 25:47.49 while Ayres, a freshman from Springfield, Missouri, finished in 25:48.89. 
 
Aaron Modrow placed fourth, crossing the finish line in 25:47.56.
 
Nick Cimmarusti and Clayton Eftink finished back-to-back for eighth and ninth place finishes. Cimmarusti achieved a time of 26:06.67, while Eftink set a new personal-best crossing the line in 26:11.22. 
 
Garrett Dumke and Jacob Blassingame finished 12th and 23rd, respectively, both achieving personal bests for their 8K. Dumke completed the race in 26:15.71 as Blassingame rounded out his race with a 26:55.96 finish. 
 
Justin Splitt competed in the 8K race for the Redhawks as well, placing 18th with 26:37.0. 
 
Missouri St. Louis (56 points), Maryville (81 points), Missouri Baptist (92 points), Kaskaskia College (160 points), host McKendree (175 points), and St. Charles Community College (178 points) placed second through seventh (respectively) for the men's 8K. 
 
On the women's side, five out of the top six runners were Redhawks. 
 
Eastman led the way finishing in 18:41.29 for first place overall in the women's 5K. For Eastman, it is back-to-back competitions with a personal-best having set a new personal record at the Redhawks Invitational in the women's 4K. 
 
Taylor Fox placed right behind her teammate in second, finishing the race in a personal-record time of 18:55.99. 
 
Madelyn Gray (19:16.83), Katie Wegmann (19:17.80), and Mackenzie Pugh (19:30.35) placed fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively to round out the top six in the women's 5K. 
 
Freshman Lexie Dockstader set a personal-best in the 5k, placing ninth with a time of 19:46.90.
 
Haley Smith, a Cape Girardeau, Missouri, native, placed 10th overall and earned a new personal-best with a final time of 20:02.25. 
 
Sarah Russom also competed for the Redhawks finishing in 17th with 20:33.88.
 
Freshmen Layla Fliege, Kayla Vogelsang and Alayna Sparr set personal bests in the women's 5K. Fliege led the newcomers with 20:16.24 (13th), while Vogelsang crossed the line in 20:44.53 for 19th place. Sparr placed 26th with an overall time of 21:11.75. 
 
Missouri Baptist finished in second place overall with 51 points followed by Maryville (91 points), Missouri St-Louis (97 points), University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (UHSP) (139 points), McKendree (159 points) and Kaskaskia College (183 points) rounded out the women's side of the 5k. 
 
Next up for the Redhawks will be the Live in the Lou Classic hosted by Louisville on Saturday, Oct. 1, in Louisville, Kentucky.