NEW CONCORD, Ohio – Winning was the theme on Saturday, with The College of Wooster men's cross country team capturing the team title and senior Isabelle Hoover breaking the tape in the women's race at the Muskingum University Invitational.

Wooster's three through five harriers were the difference on the men's side, as the Fighting Scots' 33 team points edged out West Virginia Wesleyan College's 36. Senior Alex DeLong's 11th-place time of 29:49.4 led that trio. Sophomore Duncan Hardy and first-year Drew Robertson weren't far behind with times of 30:28.8 and 30:38.0, respectively. Hardy placed 18th and Robertson crossed 21st.

First-years Will Callender and Ben Nichols were further up the standings for the Scots. Callender's 28:50.4 was fifth among 91 entrants, and Nichols' 29:48.7 was 10th.

First-years Eric Johnson (28th-place, 31:04.2) and Michail Protopapadakis (29th-place, 31:05.7) were among Wooster's top seven on Saturday.

Of note, the men's team title is a first for the program at a traditional meet since the Scots won the seven-team Otterbein University Invitational in 2014.

The women's race came down to two of the North Coast Athletic Conference's elite runners battling for the first-place finish, and at the end, it was Hoover's 23:55.6 edging out Kenyon College distance ace Emma Becker's 24:00.1.

Sophomore Athena Tharenos and senior Kayla Bertholf supplemented Hoover's winning time, as the Scots had three finishers in the top eight. Tharenos stopped the clock at 24:28.7, which was sixth on the day, while Bertholf came across the finish eighth at 25:09.6.

First-years Dylan Kretchmar and Igna Mendez secured the runner-up showing with spots in the top 17. Kretchmar navigated the championship-length course in 27:09.5, which ranked 16th in the 88 harrier field. Mendez was right behind at 27:10.4, which was the 17th-place time.

Senior Rachel Osterhouse (26th-place, 27:53.9) and first-year Eva Bauman (37th-place, 28:38.0) rounded out the top seven.

Kenyon took first-place of 10 teams on the women's side.

Next, Wooster's at Wilmington College's Jenna Strong Fall Classic on Friday, October 15. The meet is set for a 4:30 p.m. start.