Hannah Miller, a member of the SMU Cross Country team, is reporting for The Daily Campus.

LOUISVILLE – Mustangs’ cross country charged to a third-place finish in the highly competitive 2018 Louisville Cross Country Classic at Sawyer State Park Saturday morning.

Coming off their prominent wins at the Ken Garland Invite and Baylor Twilight Invitational, the Mustangs continued to build on their strong start out of state, taking a noteworthy third with 160 points out of 26 teams at the Louisville Cross Country Classic.

Junior Hannah Miller lead the Mustangs home with a 4th place finish in 16.43.9 while teammate Svenja Ojstersek was the second Mustang home, taking 11th place in 17.07.0. Senior Anneke Grogan and junior Charlotte Tara Murphy ran well, closing in 17.40.5 and 18.02.5, respectively, to take 31st and 51st. Senior Robin Montemayor rounded out the top 5 Mustangs placing 79th, continuing her blazing final season with a Cross Country personal record of 18.28.1.

“I felt like the race went really well,” Ojstersek said. “we pushed hard … I definitely left it all out there!”

Junior Alison Ezparza and Freshman Olivia Lackner finished strong, making up plenty of ground over the final km. Ezparza ran 18.57.2 to finish 114th, while Lackner finished 151st in 19.15.6.

Nationally ranked No. 20 Michigan won the teams event with 46 points while Eastern Kentucky snatched second (120 points).

The team is in fine form building towards the American Athletic Conference Championships in New Orleans on October 25, showing stamina and strength by consistently dropping their pace average every competition thus far.

Next up, the Mustangs head to The Texas A&M Barrios Invitational (College Station), toeing the line for the fourth time to round out their regular season. The team is aiming to post quick times on the NCAA Regionals course in preparation for postseason competition.

Follow the team’s progress on Facebook at SMU Track & Field and Cross Country, and on Twitter and Instagram at @SMUTrackFieldXC

Quick Stats

Team points (Top 3 of 26):

(1) Michigan 46

(2) Eastern Kentucky 120

(3) SMU 160

Mustang Placings and Times [field of 226 runners]:

(4) Hannah Miller 16.43.9

(11) Svenja Ojstersek 17.07.0

(31) Anneke Grogan 17.40.5

(51) Charlotte Tara Murphy 18.02.5

(79) Robin Montemayor 18.28.1

(114) Alison Ezparza18.57.2

(151) Olivia Lackner 19.15.6