ST. JOSEPH, Minn. - In preparation for the UMAC Championship in two weeks, the University of Northwestern Men's Cross Country team competed in the 8K at the Bennie Johnnie Autumn Classic on Saturday, finishing fifth out of nine teams with 143 points.

August Swenson (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) continued in his standout freshman season as he led the Eagles with a personal-best time of 26:43.7, finishing fifth overall. Swenson improved on his previous best of 26:44.70 while maintaining his spot as the fifth-fastest 8K runner in program history.

Senior Tyler Dueber (Bloomington, Minn./Homeschool) finished next in 34th place for Northwestern with a season-best time of 27:58.9. Freshman Hudson Selfridge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) followed with a personal-best time of 28:44.3, continuing a strong day for the Eagles.

Samuel Otis (Shoreview, Minn./Homeschool) crossed the finish line in 29:59.4, followed by freshman Jonah Peterson (Harrisburg, S.D./Harrisburg), who clocked a time of 30:11.6. Caleb Saari (Wyoming, Minn./Homeschool) finished in 32:35.7, while sophomore Cody Mercado (Arden Hills, Minn./Fourth Baptist Christian School) rounded out the Eagles with a personal-best time of 36:41.8.

The Eagles will return to competition on Saturday, October 31, for the UMAC Championship, where they will look to improve from their third-place finish last season at the Winthrop Golf Course.