Teams Shine, Girata Places First at Pitt Greensburg Fall Classic

Greensburg, Pa. – The Christendom men's and women's cross country teams delivered strong performances at the Pitt-Greensburg Fall Classic this past weekend, battling through a demanding course and racing strategically despite not fielding full scoring squads.

Competing at the event for the first time, both teams were met with one of the most challenging courses of the season. The hilly terrain demanded a shift in race strategy, rewarding athletes who could capitalize on downhill and flat sections early to offset the inevitable time losses on steep inclines.

Women's Race

Leading the way for the Lady Crusaders, Grace Kristine executed her race plan to perfection. After trailing in 10th at the one-mile mark, she surged through the downhill stretches to finish 7th overall in 29:35, just one minute off her personal best set on a flat course earlier this season and 45 seconds faster than her time last weekend.

Jadzia Hamm followed closely behind, moving up steadily throughout the race to claim 11th place in 31:23. Lily Bettcher finished 15th (33:40)—only one minute off her flat-course PR—while Myri Parsons crossed the line in 16th (34:20), rounding out the team's strong showing among 41 competitors in the women's 6k.

Christendom also notably outran several USCAA competitors, including runners from PSU-DuBois and Carlow University. With a full scoring roster, the Lady Crusaders would have been in contention for the team title, narrowly missing a first-place finish over Carlow.

Men's Race

The men's squad proved equally impressive. Alex Girata led from the front, overtaking the leader midway through the race and pulling away over the final miles to secure 1st place overall in 30:51, finishing with a decisive 21-second margin.

Robert Wright continued his breakout season, placing 4th in 31:22 in just his third career 8k—less than a minute off his personal record. Joseph Beerer rounded out the top performances for Christendom, earning 9th place with a time of 32:57, only 30 seconds shy of his PR.

All three Crusaders finished inside the top 10 of a 38-runner field, a testament to their consistency and tactical execution on one of the toughest courses they've faced this season.

Next Up: The Crusaders will continue their season next weekend as they prepare for their final stretch of fall competition, building toward the USCAA National Championships in November.