West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's cross country teams concluded their regular season at the Bradley Pink Classic in Peoria, Illinois. The event, hosted by Bradley University, featured strong performances from both the women's and men's squads, with several athletes achieving personal and season-best times.

In the women's red 6k race, Lydia Bennett ran a time of 21:52.29, marking a 23-second personal best and placing her fourth all-time in the 6k for Western Illinois. Deana Hudson also set a personal record with a time of 23:03.07. Aylana Cezar achieved her best performance of the season, finishing in 23:08.06. Emma-Kate Watt (23:20.46), Finley Hancock (23:38.66), and Cassandra Brushaber (24:39.12) each recorded personal bests.

In the women's white 6k division, senior Aurora Dominguez led the team with a season-best time of 23:28.91. Freshman Lily Patterson finished in 24:18.41 for a personal best, while fellow freshman Ellie Eastman completed the race in 24:27.51. Junior Caley Murphy posted a 32-second personal best with a time of 25:44.07.

On the men's side, junior Logan Beckmier was the top finisher for Western Illinois in the men's red 8k division, clocking in at 25:36.82. Freshman Brody Harker followed with a time of 26:25.03. Sophomore Eason Comer achieved a season-best performance at 26:43.24, and freshman Evan Eberhart finished with a time of 27:06.29.

The team noted improvement and depth across their roster during the meet, highlighted by Lydia Bennett's achievement as the fourth-fastest in school history for the women's 6k. The Leathernecks will now prepare for the OVC Conference Meet scheduled for October 31.

For more information on Leatherneck Cross Country, updates are available on GoLeathernecks.com as well as on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.