SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The University of North Georgia (UNG) women's cross country team ran to an eighth place finish in its final regular season contest of the season in the USC Upstate Invitational. 

UNG finished as the highest placing Division II team in the 19-team meet. The Nighthawks also bested four Division I teams in the race. 

UNG's 263-point performance was highlighted by senior Anna Chasteen who ran an 18:41.4 in the 5K to finish in 29th place. Graduate student Claire Mills was the next highest Nighthawk finisher with a 19:41.1 pace to land a 56th-place finish. 

Freshmen Maggie Welp and Aubrey Dishman tied for 70th place as the pair finished with a 19:25.5 mark. 

Senior Ella Stoudenmire was the final scoring runner for UNG as she came in 74th place after running a 19:26.7 time. 

As the regular season comes to a close, UNG will now prepare for the 2024 PBC XC Championship. The Nighthawks will host the league championship on Saturday, Oct. 26 on UNG's Gainesville campus at the UNG Cross Country Course. 

The Nighthawks have finished in second place in the PBC Championship for six consecutive years. On Saturday, they will look for their first conference championship since 2017.