Bears Cross Country Heads to Bluegrass State on Saturday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mercer's cross country teams will get back on their feet after a two-week layoff when they compete at the ninth annual Greater Louisville Classic cross country meet on Saturday (Oct. 2). The men's 8K race steps off at 9:30 a.m., followed by the women's 5K at 10:15 a.m. at the E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park course.

Mercer last competed on September 18 when it played host to its own RunFit Sports Invitational meet. The Bears' men's and women's teams both won the event, which had 1,500 participants for 10 divisions (middle school through college).

Mercer sophomore Chris Svidesskis won the men's race at the RunFit and Kacie Niemann, also a sophomore, took the women's medalist honors.

MU's men's team swept the Nos. 1-4 spots at the RunFit event. Svidesskis was followed by Andrew Weems, Jacob Law and Sony Prosper. All four runners finished within 38 seconds of each other in the final times. Junior Marc Kushinka was sixth overall, as Mercer missed a perfect score by one point.

The Bears' women's team also swept the first-through-fourth places at the RunFit meet. With Niemann leading the efforts (19:20.3), it was Lena Hamvas, Linda Batna and Sammy Woller – all freshmen – crossing the line, respectively.