Cross Country Sets Personal Bests at Highlander Invitational

Cross Country Sets Personal Bests at Highlander Invitational
October 11, 2025
The SUNY Erie cross country teams closed out their invitational schedule at the Highlander Invitational, hosted by Houghton University. With 21 teams representing both NJCAA and NCAA programs, the meet offered a high-caliber test. Cool temperatures and light rain made for near-perfect cross country conditions, and SUNY Erie capitalized.
Men's 8K Recap
Both Erie men posted significant personal bests, closing out their regular season on a high note. Lukas Heerdt placed 199th in 32:38.4, improving his previous best by nearly a full minute. Janek McLeod finished 202nd in 33:03.1, chopping nearly two minutes off his previous PR.
"The guys both took big steps today," said Head Coach Chris Muldoon. "Even with ideal conditions, you still have to execute and push through the hard parts of the race, which they did."
Women's 6K Recap
In their first 6k race of the season, the Erie women placed 17th in the team standings and showed clear progress as the championship season approaches.
Emma Palumbo led the team in 137th place (26:36.1), coming through the 5k mark in a personal best of 22:09. Madison Palumbo finished 173rd in 30:47.0, also setting a 5k PR en route. Erik Blersch placed 183rd (38:43.4) with a season-best through 5k. Alondra Morales ran 39:33.8 for 186th, and Rahaf Altorjman rounded out the team in 188th with a personal-best 5k split en route to a 6k time of 47:36.2.
"The women had an excellent day," Muldoon added. "All five either PR'd or were very close at the 5k split, then finished the last kilometer strong. That tells me we're fit and ready for championship season."
Looking Ahead
The Kats will now shift their focus to postseason racing, with two weeks to recover and prepare for the NJCAA Region 3 Championships on Saturday, October 25, at Finger Lakes Community College.