(JOPLIN, MO – Sept. 21) – The McKendree men's and women's cross country program spent Saturday morning competing in the Missouri Southern State University Southern Stampede. The 30^th-Annual event was held on Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course. The women finished in 29^th-place, while the men finished in 27^th-place.

The women competed in a 5K against 28 other Division I and Division II colleges and universities, and finished with a score of 866. Sophomore Kayla Tirey (Collinsville, IL) was the first Bearcat to finish the race in the top-200 with a 20:17.4 finish time, surpassing her personal best time.  Seniors Shayna Phillips (Effingham, Il/Effingham) finished with a 21:22.5 finish time and Colleen Corkery (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) made her 2019 season debut with a 23:11.6 finish time. Freshman Brianna Hebel (Belleville, IL/Althoff Catholic) improved her personal best time in this race with a 23:46.1 finish time. Rounding out for the women's teams was sophomore Katelyn Conner (Green City, MO./Green City) with a 24:29.9 finish time, improving from the meet earlier this month.

The men competed in an 8K against 26 other Division I and Division II colleges and universities, and finished with a score of 844. Senior Tyler Manion (Granite City, IL/Granite City), for the second meet in a row, was the first Bearcat to cross the finish line with a 28:53.4 finish time. Sophomore Jimmy Reed (Belleville, IL/Belleville West High School) with a 29:33.8 finish time, followed by freshman Dalvin Humphrey () with a 30:57.2 finish time, and senior Ryan Krause (Troy, IL/Triad) finished just behind him with a 31:20.9 finish time. Rounding out for the men's team were freshman Ryne White (East Alton, IL/East Alton Wood River Community High School) with a 35:41.9 finish time, and sophomore Tyler Tindall (Granite City, IL/) with a 39:46.1 finish time.

The Bearcats have less than a week to prepare for their next meet, the H.W. Wright Classic. It will be held on Friday evening in Decatur, Ill., hosted by Millikin University.