SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The University of North Georgia women;s cross country team competed in the Converse Kickoff in Spartanburg, S.C. Saturday morning. The Nighthawks finished in ninth place out of 21 teams in the 6K event.

Head coach Chris England's squad was led by its veteran presence on Saturday. Three of UNG's top finishers in the event were upperclassmen.

Nighthawk graduate student Claire Mills was the best finisher for UNG in 24th place with a 23:11.66 time. Senior Anna Chasteen was next for the Nighthawks in 42nd place out of the 211 runners. 

Chasteen's 23:34.59 time was just four seconds shy of a personal best over 6000-meters for the veteran runner.

Behind Chasteen was senior Ella Stoudnemire in 73rd place. She ran a 24:57.20, fractions of a second ahead of her teammates. Freshmen Teagan Lamp and Maggie Welp finished 74th and 75th just behind Stoudenmire. In a blink-of-an-eye differential, Lamp finished with a 24:57.23 pace while Welp was just behind at 24:57.33. 

Now the Nighthawks will get ready for the Asics Invitational hosted by Georgia Tech in Fairburn, Ga. on Friday, Oct. 4 at 10:30 a.m.