In their first event in nearly a month, the Eagles Cross Country team finished in seventh place at the Upstate Invitational in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The Eagles finished seventh, with three Eagles placing in the top 50. It was freshman Merabu Nagwandala who finished the highest for the Eagles.

After the competition, GS Head Coach Kelly Carter talked about the importance of the Eagles’ performance.

“Today was a great day for Eagle Cross Country,” Carter said. “The team responded well after not being able to race two weeks ago due to Hurricane Florence. Today, we went out and ran well on a great course, on a great morning. We added another great building block as we build for the Sun Belt Championships next month. Our ladies competed wonderfully today. They really got after it, and I was very proud of their efforts.”

With Nagwandala placing 18th, other notable finishes for the Eagles included senior Sholonda Snell, who finished 33rd, senior Erin Mullican, who finished 49th, and junior Ellunde Montgomery, who finished 56th.

Sun Belt rival Appalachian State finished in first place, and Georgia State placed in third.

The Eagles compete Friday evening in the Adidas Invitational, hosted by Wofford. The Invitational had to be rescheduled due to Hurricane Florence.

Ryan Kostensky, The George-Anne Sports Reporter, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu