GAINESVILLE, Ga. – The University of North Georgia (UNG) women's cross country team finished in second place out of 16 teams at the 13th Annual UNG XC Invitational at the UNG Cross Country Course on the UNG Gainesville campus Friday evening.

Georgia College (GCSU) came away with the victory with 45 points and an average time of 19:19 in the annual 5k. The Nighthawks finished just behind the Bobcats with 53 points and an average time of 19:25 as the host of the event. Covenant landed in third place followed by Georgia State and Brenau respectively.

UNG was paced individually by sophomore Maggie Welp who finished in fifth place among 126 runners with a 19:03.3 time in the 5k. 

Freshman Ahna Hicks was the second-highest finishing Nighthawk as the rookie ran the race in 19:13.7 to a seventh-place finish.

Tessie Braman was the final of three UNG runners to finish in the top 10 as the freshman posted a 19:25.0 time to conclude the invitational in ninth place.

Freshman Jordan Starling landed in the top 15 with a pace of 19:40.6 as she came in 14th place in the first 5k of her collegiate career.

Sophomore Aubrey Dishman and freshman Harleigh Smith finished less than two seconds apart with Dishman landing in 18th place after a 19:46.0 time and Smith coming in just behind her in 19th at 19:47.8.

Sophomore Katie Harper posted a top-25 standing after coming in 24th place with a 20:04.1 time, just two seconds shy of her career best in a 5k.

Sophomore Teagan Lamp earned a 26th-place finish participating in her third career 5k on Friday. She finished with a time of 20:13.0.

Senior Elizabeth Padilla Brun ran a 23:12.4 race in her second participation in the UNG XC Invitational while freshman Emma Kay Morrow finished with a time of 23:46.8 in her first showing in the event. 

Now the Nighthawks will prepare for the GCSU Bobcat Invitational which takes place Friday, Sep. 26 at 5 p.m. in Milledgeville, Ga. With the Bobcats hosting the 2025 Peach Belt Conference Championship, Friday's invitational is also billed as a PBC Championship preview.