Newcomers Help Lead Samford Men to Second-Place Finish in Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, ALA. ---- Samford cross country opened its season Saturday in Tuscaloosa at the Crimson Tide Cross Country Kickoff.  Both teams performed well, with the men’s team finishing second and the women’s team finishing third.

The men started the day off with a 6,000-meter race, as newcomer Brandon Hazouri was the highest-placing Bulldog earning a fourth-place finish in 20:48.57.  Fellow freshman Luke Weishaar was close behind, crossing the line sixth in 20:57.52.  Four Bulldogs finished close together in a pack, starting with Layton Dorsett in 11th with a time of 21:16.42.  Right behind him were Steven Crain (12th, 21:18.79), James Graham (13th, 21:24.88), Ramsey White (15th, 21:35.53), Adam Jones (16th, 21:36.41) and Nicholas Cork less than two minutes later (24th, 23:08.06).

In the women’s 3k, Frances Bernard earned a top-ten finish, placing ninth in 11:20.51.  Marie Demedicis and Anna Laura Irvine finished in the top 20, with Demedicis in 16th (11:49.97) and Irvine in 19th (11:56.77).  Marie Grogan and Chelsea Treadway rounded out the Bulldogs’ competitors, finishing back-to-back in 23rd (12:10.46) and 24th (12:18.37), respectively.

Samford continues its season next Friday at the Auburn Invite, which is set to begin at 4 p.m.