Sept. 13, 2002

Click Here for the women's results.

MILWAUKEE - Sophomore Steve Saul finished 11th overall to lead the Panthers to a fourth-place finish to open the 2002 Cross Country season at the Bradley Invitational Friday evening.

Saul finished the 8K course in a personal-best time of 25:30. The mark shattered his old personal best of 26:26 at the distance, set last season at the Horizon League Championships in Chicago.

A pair of newcomers making their collegiate debut were the second and third finishers for the Panthers in Peoria. Freshmen Nate Weiland was second on the team, finishing 15th with a time of 25:41, while classmate Josh Nygren finished 20th in 25:50. Junior Andy Kivioja was fourth for the Panthers, finishing 41st in 26:19. Sophomore Micah Hanthorn rounded out the counting places, finishing 47th with a time of 26:28.

"We ran really well for the first meet," head coach Pete Corfeld said. "We had a lot of guys running personal bests, which is good for this early in the season."

Marquette edged out Eastern Illinois, 43 points to 44 points, to claim the team title. The race's overall winner was Isaiah Stafford of Indiana State, who finished the course in 24:51.

The Panthers will return to the course in two weeks when they head to Detroit, Mich., for the Central Collegiate Championships on Sept. 27.