CHARLOTTE, NC – Caroline Thompkins and Cullen Dore led the Francis Marion University women's and men's cross country teams to 20th and 17th place finishes respectively at the Royals Cross Country Challenge hosted by Queens University of Charlotte on Friday evening (Oct. 7).
 
Running for the first time in over a month, five Patriots runner recorded personal-best times.
 
Thompkins completed the 5,000-meter women's race in 22:38.7 to lead the Patriot women.  She finished in 82nd position.  Junior Annalena Griffin registered a personal-best time of 23:00.1 to place 92nd.
 
First-year runners MacKinley Perry (24:22.2) and Briggs Kelly (24:32.6) both improved on their times from the season-opening race and finished 124th and 129th respectively.  Perry is a West Florence High School product.  Haizley Herndon posted a time of 37:17.0 to finish in 195th position.
 
Dore injured a toe early in the men's race but persevered to lead all FMU runners.  He finished the 8,000-meter men's event in 28:52.4 and occupied 78th position.  Logan Zeis recorded a personal-best time of 29:18.2 to finish in 94th position, while Florence native Tyson Jackson also posted a personal-best time of 31:41.9 to place 146th.
 
First-year athletes all running in their first 8,000-meter collegiate event accounted for the final Patriot finishers:  Zachary Patrick (32:05.8) finished 149th, Holden Starr (32:25.5) was 155th, and Michael James (40:18.2) placed 208th.
 
Ave Maria University edged the University of West Georgia to win the women's team title, while Augusta University easily captured the men's team championship.
 
Both Francis Marion squads will next compete in the Bulldog Stampede Meet, hosted by Wingate University, on Friday, Oct. 14, beginning at 4:30 p.m.