Men 2nd, Women 3rd At Covered Bridge Open

Friday, August 30

Boone, N.C.

10 a.m.

Mercer University

Covered Bridge Open

8/30/2024 5:10:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Athletics Department

Women's Results (5K)Men's Results (6K)

BOONE, N.C. – Yianni Pothalakis ran a personal-best time of 18:45.9 to pace the Mercer men to a runner-up finish on the team leaderboard, while fellow junior Nikki Harris posted a personal-best 18:13.1 to pace the women's team to a third-place showing, as the Bears opened up their 2024 campaign at the Appalachian State-hosted Covered Bridge Open on Friday morning.

Pothoulakis finished sixth among 96 runners in the men's 6K race held at the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm in western North Carolina. Junior Jake Peters logged a personal-best time of 18:58.6 on the way to a 10^th-place finish, junior Buck Ledford was 14^th with a personal-best time of 19:06.4 and Zachary Burke crossed in 19^th place with a personal-best mark of 19:15.3. Graduate student Reece Cato (19:23.51) rounded out the scoring for the Bears in 24^th place.

Harris led the way for the Orange & Black in the women's 5K race, finishing seventh among a field of 104, while newcomer Emma James shaved 17 seconds off of her personal-best time while crossing in 22nd place. Iris Porter logged a personal-best time of 18:43.45 and finished 25th, while freshman Paula Sandoval (18:44.02) and Olivia Jones (PR 18:44.02) finished off the scoring for MU in 26th and 32nd place, respectively.

The Bears will now take a 3-week break from competition before resuming their 2024 regular season schedule on September 21 by hosting the MGA/Julius Johnson Invitational. Competition at that meet is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on the Georgia Premier Cross Country Course.

App State Covered Bridge Open (August 30)
WOMEN'S 5K		MEN'S 6K
*Winner: Teresa Cherotich (South Carolina, 17:16.14)*		Winner: Ethan Lipham (Appalachian State, 18:14.72)
7	! Nikki Harris, 18:13.09	6	! Yianni Pothalakis, 18:45.90
22	! Emma James, 18:42.98	10	! Jake Peters, 18:58.52
25	! Iris Porter, 18:43.45	14	! Buck Ledford, 19:06.33
26	Paula Sandoval, 18:44.02	19	! Zachary Burke, 19:15.22
32	! Olivia Jones, 18:52.66	24	! Reece Cato, 19:23.51
34	Reagan Cooke, 18:57.74	25	Colby Bornstein, 19:23.51
35	Claire Bauer, 18:59.90	38	! Peyton Millwood, 19:47.86
38	Abbie Kallbreier, 19:05.18	39	Will Herlihy, 19:48.16
41	Sarah Myers, 19:15.28	40	Chris Connolly, 19:51.61
43	Annette Rodriguez-Olvera, 19:19.05	43	! Chinmay Dongari, 20:04.11
63	Reese Robertson, 19:59.25	65	Hagan Russell, 20:41.97
69	Penny Jackson, 20:24.26	72	! Sebasthian Rodriguez, 20:52.00
72	Mackenzie Crowe, 20:25.89	79	! Will Nash, 21:22.11
81	Emily Ireland, 20:51.85
! = Personal Best