COLUMBIA, SC – Senior Javier Bustos Jaimes captured the individual championship and led the Francis Marion University men to a third-place team finish, while the Patriot women finished fourth, Saturday morning (Oct. 7) at the Koala Classic Cross Country Invitational Meet hosted by Columbia College.

Bustos Jaimes finished the 8,000-meter SOAR course in a time of 28:41.6 nearly nine seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. Two other Patriot runners posted Top-10 finishes:  senior Devin Nelson in fourth with a time of 29:14.0 and senior Jonathan Reid in ninth with a time of 30:01.7.

Other FMU runners included sophomore Ivan Henderson in 18th position (31:27.3), junior Carlos Oliver in 35th (33:49.2), junior Robert Hahn in 45th (36:14.4), and junior Brandon Boggs in 52nd (41:09.1).

Tusculum College narrowly earned the men's team title with a 46 score, followed closely by Bob Jones University (50) and Francis Marion (54).  Columbia International University (89) was fourth followed by Lander University (133), and Claflin University (145).

Senior MacKenzie Arnold paced the FMU women with a 14-place finish in a time of 22:09.5 over the 5,000-meter course. Sophomore Alison Filer finished in 18th position with a time of 22:42.1, while sophomore Emma Driggers placed 25th (23:12.8), senior Taylor Brunson was 31st (23:58.1), sophomore Alexis Byers was 41st (24:39.8), and sophomore Jasmine Watson was 66th (31:65.5).

The University of South Carolina finished atop the women's team standings with a perfect 15 score.  Tusculum (92), host Columbia College (    97), Francis Marion (106), and Bob Jones (115) rounded out the Top 5. 

USC's Kaylee Wessel won the women's race in a time of 19:35.3.

Both FMU teams will compete in the Peach Belt Conference Championship Meet on the morning of Oct. 21 at Fort Benning, Ga.

MEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
1          Tusculum                 46
2          Bob Jones                50
3          Francis Marion          54
4          Columbia Int'l           89
5          Lander                  133
6          Claflin                   145

WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
1          South Carolina          15
2          Tusculum                 92
3          Columbia (S.C.)        97
4          Francis Marion        106
5          Bob Jones              115
6          Brenau                  161
7          St. Andrews           188
8          Columbia Int'l         211
9          Claflin                   230
10        Lander                  239