The App State men’s and women’s cross country teams opened the season with a pair of second-place team finishes at the Firetower Project Run on Friday. The men’s team recorded 55 points, while the women’s team recorded 67.

“Today was a great start to our season,” said women’s distance coach Annie Richards. “The women are approaching their training with a team-focused attitude and commitment to improvement and growth. To be able to race the way we did today during a big training block indicates both that our work is paying off and that there is so much more to come this season. Several performances that were especially impressive were junior Catherine Breault and freshman Rhys Ammon’s lifetime bests.”

In her debut in the Black and Gold, freshman Kaitlyn Obremski led the Mountaineer women, clocking a personal best 5K time of 18:07.52 to finish sixth individually. Senior Jasmine Donohue placed 11th (18:26.77) and Breault placed 12th (18:32.71, PR). Ammon posted a personal best of 18:40.22 to finish 16th overall.

“It was a solid start to the season,” said men’s distance coach Brad Herbster. “We had three goals for the race and it was good to see our guys give good effort and execute their individual race plans. We are missing some people and look forward to getting them back in the lineup. Fifth-year senior Oliver Wilson-Cook really put himself in a good spot and sophomore Ethan Lipham and senior Calbert Guest both positioned themselves in the race as well. We have a lot of work to do and will look forward to returning to the home course in two weeks.”

Wilson-Cook set pace for the Mountaineers in the men’s 8K, clocking a time of 24:28.33 to place seventh overall. Guest finished eighth with a personal best time of 24:28.75. Lipham and senior Dwayne Lillie placed 11th (24:42.66) and 12th (24:48.65), respectively.

The Mountaineers will host the Covered Bridge Open on Sept. 15 at the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm. The women’s 5K is set for 10 a.m. with the men’s 8K to follow at 10:40 a.m.