Hunter Leads Pioneers at USC Upstate Invite

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – At Saturday's USC Upstate Invite, which featured competition from across the collegiate landscape, Spartanburg Methodist College junior Ryan Hunter led the Pioneer men's cross country team, covering the 8K course in 26:02 to finish 55th overall.

Freshman Dante Hudnall was the second finisher for SMC, clocking an 8K personal best of 28:08.1. Fellow freshman Jack MacDonald was the third Pioneer across the line, placing 195th with a time of 29:55.6.

Sophomore Omarion Ocampo-Rios (201st, 30:54.1) and freshman Matthew Radford (205th, 31:04.3) rounded out the top five for the Pioneers. Ocampo-Rios recorded his best time of the season, while Radford posted a personal record.

Teammates Dylan Seppala and Steven Strange finished 216th (32:03.2) and 217th (32:14.9), respectively.

As a team, Spartanburg Methodist placed 16th out of 22 teams. Jacksonville State, an NCAA Division I program, captured the team title with four runners finishing among the top six. Unattached competitor Jaouad Khchina of South Carolina won the individual race, finishing 25 seconds ahead of the field.

The Pioneers will return to action next week when they compete at the AAC Cross Country Championships, looking to cap off their season with continued improvement and strong individual performances.