Tulane cross country had an incredible start to the season at the New Orleans XC Opener last Friday. Both the mens and womens teams had elite performances, finishing first and second respectively. The Green Wave competed against a field of strong Louisiana schools that included LSU, UNO and University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The men’s team dominated the competition with their elite individual performers. Senior Aaron Gilliam was the first athlete to finish the 5k race with an astonishing 14:43.30. His incredible performance earned him the American Athletic Conference Male Athlete of the Week. 

Junior Bradley Makuvire earned the second place finish with a strong 14:49.23, and Evans Kipmuncha just missed out on a top three finish with a 14:59.36 time. The Green Wave men’s team had five runners finish in the top ten, and was the only team to have an average time  under 15 minutes. 

The Tulane women’s team also had many strong performances from the local meet. Sophomore Danna Diaz led the team with a fast 13:40.10 in her first 4k with the team, finishing fifth overall. Freshman Sophia McNerney had a ninth place finish with 13:56.59 in her first collegiate race. 

Five of the seven athletes finished in the top 15 in their race last weekend. While the team performed incredibly well, they were unable to surpass a very quick LSU team with seven top-16 finishers.

Both cross country teams will keep the ball rolling by competing in the Rice Invitational in Houston this Friday.