The UIS men's cross country team placed 14th out of 27 teams at the Lewis Crossover on Saturday morning, scoring 409 points in the 8K race.

Senior Matt Padilla led the Prairie Stars, finishing 57th overall with a time of 25:28. Senior Joey Karlesky followed in 66th at 25:34, giving UIS two runners in the top 70.

Owen Whelan crossed the finish line in 25:50 to place 92nd, while sophomore Charlie Borlin finished 103rd in 25:56. Ryan Kries rounded out the team's top five, placing 113th in 26:02.

Freshman Elijah Mendoza finished in 26:38, followed by senior Garrett Wagoner at 26:59 to round out the team's top seven.

Head coach Emmons King was encouraged by the team's pack running and depth at the Lewis Crossover.

"We went into this race with one goal, to run as a pack, and we ended the race with a 34-second spread from 1-5, which is a great sign for later this season! That shows how deep our team is, and that really excites me!" King said.

Western Washington won the team title with 114 points, followed by Findlay with 120 and UC-Colorado Springs with 130.

The Prairie Stars now prepare for the Charger Invite in Huntsville, Ala., on Oct. 24.