Scots Runners Set Personal Bests in Bradley Meet

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (09/16/2023) — A number of Monmouth College cross country runners set season and lifetime personal bests on Friday as both the men's and women's teams competed in the Bradley Intercollegiate. The event, at Peoria's famed Detweiller Park, included teams from Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA and Junior College.

The men's team finished 10th overall, second among Division III teams, and they outscored Knox and Eureka. William Plumley (Geneseo, Illinois) led the way with new PR by 15 seconds as he finished 63rd in 27:18.80. Eli Newton (Dallas City, Illinois) set a PR by 35 seconds while finishing in 67th place in a time of 27:29.00. Freshman Xavier Stoub (Palos Heights, Illinois) finished 79th in 27:56.90 and Neo Colter (Geneseo) was 99th in 29:10.70. Freshman Liam MacLellan (Chicago, Illinois) ran 32:03.30, Braden Bernas (Aurora, Illinois) ran 32:14.40 and Alex Urbina (Round Lake Beach, Illinois) finished in 33:27.80.

"We had a lot of PRs on both teams tonight," said head coach Brady Hunt. "The men are already way ahead of where we thought we would be this season."

The women's team was second among all Division III teams and eighth overall in the 5K race. Freshman Isabella Manley (Peoria, Illinois) finished 41st with a PR of 19:36.60. Freshman Samantha Costello (Morris, Illinois) ran a personal best by a minute with a time of 20:57.80 to finish 61st and freshman Melissa Bivolarov (Arlington Heights, Illinois) went more than a minute under her previous best to finish 62nd in 21:00.70. Lindsay Eaton (Danvers, Illinois) finished 83rd in 22:42.60 and Kristen Rebman (Macomb, Illinois) finished 96th in 26:10.90.

"The women had three lifetime bests over 3 miles," said Coach Hunt. "They will be dangerous when we get to the conference meet."

The Scots have next weekend off before running the Don Hutson Invitational hosted by Wartburg College on Saturday, Sept. 30.