Nevada's Men's and Women's Cross Country programs completed their first competition of 2024 Saturday at the George Kyte Classic in Flagstaff, Ariz.
The 4.5-mile men's race was first, and the Wolf Pack turned in three top-10 finishes in a field which included the top-ranked team in the country in host Northern Arizona.
Among the four Division I schools in the men's field, Tryon Jardin led the Wolf Pack contingent, coming in eighth in a time of 22:52.2, followed in succession by Daniel Sayo and Celime Garcia.
Jaedyn Chase and Eddie Yunker came in 12tha and 13th, respectively, while Austin Key was 15th, giving the Wolf Pack six top-15 finishers among the 35 Division I runners in the field.
The women's 2.5-mile race was next. Claire Nelson would go on to be the Wolf Pack's top finisher, coming in 16th at 15:21.13. Madelyn Shipman, Ashley Boone, and Natalia Martino all followed Nelson in order, giving the Pack four top-20 finishes in the field of 98.
"We were very focused on racing as a team. They ran as packs supporting each other throughout the race. They ran great team races even if individually it wasn't a perfect day. So, we have room to grow, and I am proud of their efforts," Elias added.
The Nevada teams return to action September 21 at the UCR Invitational.
The University of Nevada, Reno contributed to this report.
