COMPLETE RESULTS

The High Point University men's cross country team placed second to Liberty in the Big South Preview meet on Saturday at Quail Creek Golf Club in Conway, N.C. Sophomore Patrick Crawford was runner-up followed by junior Jacob Smith, who took fifth.

"Our effort was good but it wasn't good enough today, we got beat," said HPU head coach Mike Esposito. "We have work to do over the next month. Liberty has won six conference championships in a row for a reason. We're going to have to make progress and be ready at the end of October."

Liberty scored 25 points for the win followed by HPU with 40. New Big South member Campbell placed third with 88 points followed by Coastal Carolina with 124 and Radford with 125. Concord placed sixth with 148 points in the meet followed by the Citadel (227), Methodist (246), Presbyterian (275) and a Coastal Carolina alumni team with 276.

Crawford finished second with a time of 24:57 to lead the Panthers and Smith crossed the line fifth with a time of 25:16. HPU had two other finishers in the top 10: junior Dakota Peachee placed seventh with a time of 25:33 and senior Neal Darmody placed 10th in 25:52.

Crawford competed with Liberty transfer Zac Edwards throughout the race before Edwards pulled away over the final two miles. Edwards finished in 24:42. The Flames' David Ricksecker placed third in 24:58 and Josh MacDonald placed fourth in 25:08 to solidify Liberty's win in the preview meet.

High Point freshman Reece Ayers made his collegiate debut and was the fifth Panther across the finish line, placing 16th with a time of 26:06. Sophomore John Yankello placed 17th in 26:17 and senior Mike Ali placed 22nd in 26:47.

Junior Jonathan Riley placed 25th in 26:53 followed by senior Mike Feroe in 33rd and Anthony Kilar in 36th.

Next up, High Point University races in the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa., on Sept. 30. The Panthers run for the Big South Championship on Oct. 29 at Coastal Carolina.