(SHELBYVILLE, Ind.) - The dew on the Blue River Cross Country Course in Shelbyville, Indiana, was hardly dry when the Wilmington Men's Cross Country Team, along with eleven other teams, took to it at 10:00 A.M. this morning, but the temperature had already climbed sky-high, making for a gauntlet of a race for the Quakers and providing a stern early-season test in the Grizzly Invite, hosted by Franklin College.
 
Leading the way for the Quakers in his first career cross-country 5k was sophomore Neka Bukasa, who ran a time of 16:25.8 and finished in 19th place. Next up with a time of 16:59 was fellow sophomore Simeon Williamson, good enough for 52nd place. Rounding out the trilogy of sophomores was 64th place finisher Braydon Buchanan with a time of 17:12.
 
The fourth scoring Quaker was senior Bryson Robinette, who ran a time of 17:44, grinding out a tough finish for 98th place. The role of fifth man was held by Keegan Kidd, who came in just behind Robinette at 17:48 for 101st place, while a pair of freshmen in Samuel Quackenbush and Jacob Vance rounded out the 6th and 7th spots, finishing 111th and 134th, respectively.
 
Despite battling extreme heat as well as other competitors for the second time this week, the Quakers showed several signs of progress, as many veterans had their best opener to date and many freshmen established themselves as strong competitors despite less than ideal conditions.
           
More will be learned from the Quakers next meet (All-Ohio on September 18th at Cedarville), where the first 8,000 meter run of the season looms large.