SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Competing on their home course for the only time this season, the Converse University cross country teams both had strong showings at the Converse Kick-Off Friday evening at Milliken Research Park. The 2025 season marks the first time since the Covid-shortened 2020-21 campaign in which the Valkyries will compete at Milliken Arboretum fewer than two times.
 
The men led off the evening with a 6K race. The Valkyries finished fifth as a team, including two top-five finishes from sophomores Ander Vera Moleres and Alex Porter. Vera Moleres won the men's race with a time of 19:11.3, nearly four seconds ahead of Southern Wesleyan senior Drew Jones in second place.

The women's 5K followed the men's race, and the Valkyrie women put on an even better team showing, finishing fourth as a team. Freshman Evie De Roos was the women's best finisher, finishing in sixth with a time of 19:34.2 in her first collegiate race.

"It was a good showing to start the season," stated Roger Malonda after his first race at the helm of the Converse cross country programs. "You never know how well summer training worked until you get to the season and we outperformed some great teams on a very tough course tonight."

Men's Notes:

• Vera Moleres finished over four seconds ahead of Jones in second.
• Porter finished fifth with a time of 19:33.7.
• Sophomore Marti Ruiz Barreda was the Valkyries' third finisher in 20th place with a time of 20:19.3.
• Senior Jaxon Wright and sophomore Reece Evans rounded out the Valkyries' scorers in 48th and 50th place, respectively. They finished with times of 21:11.4 and 21:14.8, respectively.
• Junior Hunter Heron finished the race 65th overall with a time of 21:46.3. Freshman Benjamin Notarangelo finished 67th overall, with a time of 21:48.8 in his first collegiate race.
• Freshman James Hook rounded out the Valkyries' race in 88th with a time of 22:26.1 in his first collegiate race.

Women's Notes:  

• De Roos led the way for the Valkyries in sixth place.
• Sophomore Sara Aguiar Torre was the team's next finisher in 18th with a time of 20:31.0. She was followed by freshman Ines Pierrefitte in 21st with a time of 20:44.5.
• Junior Paisley Stepp was the team's next finisher in 28th with a time of 21:16.4. Sophomore Peyton MacMillan rounded out the team's scorers with a time of 21:45.3 in 42nd.
• Junior Mackenzie Crandell was the team's next finisher in 49th overall with a time of 22:02.0.
• Sophomore Hailey Jones finished with a time of 24:34.2 in 93rd overall. Freshman Angelica Panchelyuga finished the race two places later in 95th with a time of 24:49.6.

Next Up:
The Valkyries head to the Tar Heel State on Saturday, Sept. 20 to take part in the Southeast-Regional-Preview Bulldog Stampede hosted by Wingate University. The race is set to begin at 8 A.M.
  
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