By: Riley Holsinger

For the Yellow Jacket

Three weeks ago, the Waynesburg University cross country teams hit the trails at the Dickinson Long/Short Invitational.

Aubrey Wingeart, a familiar face for the Yellow Jackets, returned to the trails for her first meet this season.

“I really loved being out with the team again,” Wingeart said. “I love running with [this team]. I love them. They’re like my family.”

Wingeart has been spending time at Coastal Carolina as a transient student due to her majoring in marine biology. Waynesburg Cross Country head coach Chris Hardie was ecstatic to get Wingeart back out on the trails in a Yellow Jackets uniform.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen her,” Hardie said. “To get her back has really energized the team.” 

Wingeart didn’t just return. She dominated.

Wingeart took home silver to help aid the women’s team to place fifth in the 6K.

“It wasn’t exactly where I wanted time-wise, but place-wise it was good,” Wingeart said.

Gloria Reed also made strides throughout the race bolting in and out of the pack to finish 12th out of 125 finishers. Hardie has seen Reed as a member of the team that has made strides not only in this race but for the season.

“Gloria has stepped up for us,” Hardie said.

Gabrielle Reifsnyder continued her solid sophomore season to place 38th.

“Gabi ran really well,” Hardie said. “Overall, it was a really good team effort.”

Out of 21 teams in the 8K, the men’s team capped off the competition to finish ninth.

Sophomore Andrew Kasper stayed the course with his stellar sophomore season and finished 18th.

“Andrew Kasper really stepped up,” Hardie said. “We hadn’t really seen him in a big race until today. To see him in a big race today was really important.”

Junior Jac Cokley finished 24th out of 141 finishers.

“I think Jac Cokley ran really well,” Hardie said. “Top to bottom for the men’s side, they stuck to the plan and worked the hills really hard.”

Both teams had to deal with a terrain full of hills, something of which they’re used to with their practice plans.

“We’re always a good hill team just with our courses and how campus is set up,” Hardie said. “We work [hills] into our training plan if that’s what the end of the season is going to look like.”

Courses like the one set up at Big Spring High School for the competition, which feature a hill heavy landscape, are ones that Hardie believes the teams are fond of.

“Our girls and guys like hilly courses,” Hardie said. “[The courses and plan] is putting the team in a position to be in success at the end of the year.”

After taking two weeks off from competing, the Yellow Jacket teams will head to Ohio this weekend to compete in the Oberlin Inter-regional Rumble on Oct. 16.