CARY, N.C. – Both North Carolina Central University cross country teams had three freshmen finish in its top four positions as the Eagles secured an eighth place finish on the women's side and the men cracked the top-10 teams with a ninth place result at the adidas XC Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday evening.
 
In the large event that had 13 total teams in both races, NCCU competed with just the minimum five runners needed on each side for a team score as some Eagles were held out due to injury.
 
On the women's side, freshman Gianna Marquez led the maroon and gray in her collegiate debut. Marquez posted a benchmark time of 20:59 to slip just inside the upper half of the field.
 
NCCU's other four runners all crossed the 5k finish line in rapid succession behind Marquez, including sophomore Taylor Hanson (21:08), freshman Jadiza Jimenez (21:12), freshman Laila Jackson (21:24) and sophomore Mylena Beckham (21:24).
 
The Eagles competed with a lineup of just first or second year collegiate runners and that quintet all finished with 75 seconds of each other to get wins over five teams, including Campbell University.
 
For a second straight week, the freshmen trio of Emmanuel Paddyfote (20:21), Octavious Smith (20:41) and Corey Little (20:42) led the NCCU men's cross country team to the finish line. It marked the first collegiate 6k for all three rookie runners.
 
Junior Melchoir Ellis knocked nearly a minute off his time in the same race from last year for a new 6k PR time of 21:45. Senior Neco Johnson (25:53) concluded NCCU's running to get the Eagles a team score.
 
NC State swept the team titles. The defending national champion and top-ranked Wolfpack women were just two points shy of a perfect score with all seven NCSU runners finishing in the top-10, including race winner Samantha Bush in 16:14. The NC State men's team had five consecutive runners cross the finish line from second to sixth place to secure their win, but Charleston Southern's Micah Gilpatric held off that pack for the individual win in 17:24.
 
NC Central is next slated to race at the Cedric Walker HBCU Challenge as part of the Great American Cross Country Festival on the same WakeMed Soccer Park Cross Country Course on Saturday, Oct. 1.
 
NCCU WOMEN'S 5K INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (105 Finishers)
52. Gianna Marquez (20:59.4)
57. Taylor Hanson (21:08.3)
61. Jadiza Jimenez (21:12.4)
63. Laila Jackson (21:24.3)
70. Mylena Beckham (22:12.2)
 
NCCU MEN'S 6K INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (123 Finishers)
67. Emmanuel Paddyfote (20:21.1)
71. Octavious Smith (20:41.5)
73. Corey Little (20:42.3)
85. Melchoir Ellis (21:45.7)
113. Neco Johnson (25:53.7)