SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Sophomore Athena Tharenos placed second again – this time on a championship-length course – as The College of Wooster cross country team competed at Wittenberg University's North Coast Athletic Conference Preview on Saturday morning at the Clark County Fairgrounds. Wooster's women placed fifth of 11 teams, while the men finished eighth.

Tharenos, who was making her championship-length debut, crossed at 23:39.6. Baldwin Wallace University's Alyssa Laughner led 118 entrants to the finish at 23:14.5.

Two other Fighting Scots joined Tharenos in the top-15. First-year Dylan Kretchmar went 24:38.4 in her first championship-length start, and that was good for 13th-place. Senior Kayla Bertholf backed that up with the 14th-place time of 24:41.3.

First-year Jessica Breth was Wooster's No. 4 at 26:43.1, while classmate Eva Bauman rounded out the scorers at 26:52.4. They placed 48th and 51st, respectively.

Senior Rachel Osterhouse (65th-place, 27:34.0) and classmate Marian Overfield (81st-place, 28:40.1) comprised the rest of the top-seven.

First-year Will Callender continued his hot start, as he was once again Wooster's No. 1 on the men's side. Callender debuted at 27:32.3 on the championship-length 8,000 meters course, and that was the 18th-fastest time on the day. Senior Alex DeLong, who was making his season debut, took 34th with a time of 28:03.6, and sophomore Duncan Hardy snuck into the top-50 at 28:41.2.

First-year Ben Nichols finished his first collegiate championship-length meet at 29:00.0, and sophomore Bryson Simpson's 29:30.1 was the last scoring time of the day. Sophomore Mitch Ecklund (29:43.5) and first-year Eric Johnson (29:44.6) were in the top seven for the Scots on Saturday.

Denison University's Keanan Ginell was the top finisher at 26:17.3. DePauw University swept the team titles at the meet.

Next, Wooster competes at the All-Ohio Championships on Friday, September 17. The meet is set for a 1 p.m. start at Cedarville University's Elvin R. King Cross Country Course.