NASHVILLE, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's cross country team finished second at the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic Saturday morning at the Percy Warner Park while the women's team placed third in the 15-team event.
Senior Emmanuel Kirwa (Kapsabet, Kenya) was second in the event behind Festus Chemaoi of Middle Tennessee while junior Chris Berry (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) finished fourth in his first cross country race since 2008. Kirwa was just four seconds behind Chemaoi with a time of 25:21.45 and Berry ran the 8-kilometer race in a time of 25:32.
Tennessee took first with a team score of 27 followed by the Mocs with 47 points. The Vols placed all five scoring runners in the top 10. Sophomores Lucas Cotter (Collierville, Tenn.) and Nathan Wanuch (Mississauga, Ontario) were the next two runners to finish for the Mocs with Cotter 12th with a time of 26:07.29 and Wanuch right behind with a time of 26:08.35. Junior Joshue Vasquez (Kingsport, Tenn.) was the final scoring runner to place for UTC with a time of 26:23.29 in 18th followed immediately by senior David Moore (Sarnia, Ontario) with a time of 26:25.37.
Belmont placed third in the race followed by SE Missouri, Lipscomb and host Vanderbilt in sixth.
In the women's race, senior Anneli Uys (Somerville, Australia) was fifth overall with a time of 18:20.42. Junior Tara Gietema (Knoxville, Tenn.) was Chattanooga's second finisher at 18th with a time of 18:59.58 over the 5-kilometer course.
Sophomore Kathryn Stuart (Franklin, Tenn.) was 22nd with a time of 19:07.53 while teammate Mary Cumbee (Brentwood, Tenn.) was 24th at 19:15.10. Senior Shelley Taylor (Cohutta, Ga.) was the final scoring runner for the Lady Mocs with a time of 19:26.68 placing 28th overall.
Vanderbilt won the women's 5K with 21 points followed by Lipscomb in second and Chattanooga third. Belmont was fourth with Middle Tennessee taking fifth, Tennessee sixth and Rhodes seventh.
Chattanooga will return to action Saturday, Oct. 9 at the Samford University Invitational as the Runnning Mocs get an opportunity to preview the course for the NCAA Regional.
