FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – St. Edward's men's cross country continued its early-season progress with a gritty performance in a deep field at Saturday's Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival, placing 22nd overall in the McDonnell Memorial 8K race against NCAA Division I programs and conference opponents.

The Hilltoppers finished with a total team score of 595 points and an average time of 26:18.38, competing against 30 teams that included Arkansas, Texas, Stephen F. Austin, and Northwest Missouri State.

Sophomore ARLO GONZALES paced St. Edward's with a strong performance, crossing the finish line in 25:44.1 to place 99th overall. Senior AJ PENA followed closely behind, clocking 25:59.7 for 121st place. The Hilltoppers' top five scorers all finished within just over a minute of each other, showcasing the team's depth and pack-running strategy.

Junior MELECIO ORTIZ was the team's third finisher in 26:15.6 (138th), while sophomore PARKER STEVENS continued his promising season with a 26:28.9 effort (156th). Freshman JAVIER RAMIREZ rounded out the scoring five in 27:03.6 (193rd).

Freshman DYLAN MCCOY (27:24.1) and junior WILLIAM SULENTICH (27:27.3) provided crucial depth as the team's sixth and seventh runners, respectively.

The Chile Pepper Festival marked another step forward in St. Edward's fall campaign as the Hilltoppers build toward the championship portion of the season. They'll send a small squad to compete at the DBU Old Glory Gallop, then return to action in full later this month as they continue preparations for the Lone Star Conference Championships.