TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Mercer Bears men’s cross country team finished third while the women came home eighth in the Florida State Invitational on Friday with 10 Bears setting a personal best.  
 
MEN’S RACE (8K) 
Vladi Zander-Velloso was the picture of consistency throughout the race, remaining in the top-10 for much of the morning. Velloso ran as high as seventh on two occasions before rounding out the top-10 with a time of 25:54.4. The next two Bears to cross the line, Josiah Jaqua and Fuad Batteh, finished 16^th and 19^th respectively. Jaqua was clocked at 26:29.7, while Batteh finished in 26:41.7, besting his previous PR of 27:25.7.  
 
Diego Lavieri Sosa came home 21^st for Mercer with a time of 26:53.0. Rob Zell was the fifth and final Bear to score, trailing his teammate Sosa by just four seconds. His time of 26:57.2 placed him 24^th.  
 
Chris French (38^th) beat his previous PR, and his new personal best stands at 27:54.3. Dalton Hollis (52^nd) ran the 8K in 28:44. 2 
 
MEN’S RESULTS 
10. Vladi Zander-Velloso         25:54.4 
16. Josiah Jaqua                     26:29.7 
19. Fuad Batteh                       26.41.7 
21. Diego Lavieri Sosa            26:53.0 
24. Rob Zell                             26.57.2 
38. Chris French                      27:54.3 
52. Dalton Hollis                      28:44.2 
 
WOMEN’S RACE (5K) 
Ashley McMahon, Zoe Sanchez and Marina Van Sickle led the Mercer Bears at FSU, just as they did two weeks ago at the Julius Johnson Invitational. At Florida State, McMahon came home a team-best 20^th with a time of 18.46.6. Sanchez continued her strong freshman campaign with by setting a PR of 19:19.9. Marina Van Sickle’s 49^th-place effort also resulted in a new PR of 19:37.7  
 
The Bears’ final two scores – Whitney Johnson and Jaycie Calvert – came home 52^nd and 53^rd respectively, both with new personal bests. Johnson finished the 5K in 19:41.8 while Calvert was timed at 19:44.2.  
 
Giulia Giorgi finished 68^th for the Bears, and the next three finishers – Jerrica Hanson (71^st), Bri Teegarden (74^th), Isabella Leblanc (77^th) all achieved a PR. Bella Rhone set a collegiate PR with a time of 21:25.3.  
 
WOMEN’S RESULTS 
20. Ashley McMahon               18:45.6 
40. Zoe Sanchez                     19:19.9 
49. Marina Van Sickle              19:37.7 
52. Whitney Johnson               19:41.8 
53. Jaycie Calvert                    19:44.2 
68. Giulia Giorgi                       20:22.4 
71. Jerrica Hanson                   20:44.5 
74. Bri Teegarden                     20:56.1 
77. Isabella Leblanc                 21.06.1 
79. Bella Rhone                        21:25.3 
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will return to action in two weeks when they run in the Blazer Classic at UAB on Oct. 16.