CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A myriad of new personal bests went down on Friday for Jacksonville State's men's and women's cross country runners at the Queen City Invite.
 
JSU's men registered their second fourth-place team finish of the season, matching the result they turned in at the 5K season-opener at Choccolocco Park on Sept. 2. The 26:16 average time trailed only Milligan, Anderson (S.C.) and UNC-Pembroke.
 
For the Gamecock ladies, they came home seventh as a unit led by freshman Elsa Chan's 18:22 time.
 
Chan's impressive mark was not only a new career-best, up 12 seconds from her first run last week, but it also is good for seventh-place on JSU's individual 5K time list. She jumps just ahead of Kailey Jenson's 18:23 mark from 2012.
 
Freshman Pell City, Ala., native, Jack Lowe paced the men's team again turning in at 25:40. Just 10 seconds off his first 8K time a week ago, he managed to score 16th individually. Behind Lowe, the next five Gamecock finishers all clocked new personal best 8K times. Fellow freshman Caden Meyer finished just seconds behind Lowe with a 25:44, followed directly by sophomore Rodrigo Fraga at 25:46 to put a trio of Gamecocks in the top 18. Sophomore Sam Green continued the trend with a 27:00 flat, while freshmen Tanner Rice (27:14) and Kaden Harris (27:17) improved upon their debut times from a week ago.
 
On the women's side, Chan highlighted a great showing from another young JSU squad. Senior Elizabeth Wetmore's time of 19:26 became the next fastest 5K of the season for JSU outside of Chan's time. Freshman Siobhan Balle crossed the line as the third Gamecock with a new career-best 20:01, shaving three second off last week's North Alabama Showcase time. The native of Auckland, New Zealand began a string of three-straight Gamecocks registering new bests, including freshman Anna Strickland (20:07) and sophomore Sierra Wainer (20:17).
 
I'm very happy with how everyone raced this week," said head coach Matthew Boone. "We're learning how to race as a team and that will be the foundation for us as we head into championship season."