SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Sept. 4, 2026) - The ETSU men's cross country team got a pair of standout performances to lead them to a fifth-place finish in the USC Upstate Eye Opener on Friday at the Roger Milliken Center in Spartanburg.
Sophomore Garret Hawkins posted a career-best fifth-place finish with a 25:19.4 time in the men's 8k on Friday evening, and junior
Hayden Waleski came home tenth with a 25:38.7. Waleski's time is a personal best, surpassing the 26:06.4 he set in the Louisville Classic in 2025. Senior
Nolan Pedota crossed the line 35th with a 26:48.2 followed immediately by
Wesley Luisi in 37th with a 26:48.6. Freshman
Caden Costello rounded out the scoring places in 62nd with a 27:40.1 in his first collegiate race.
Other finishers include
Colin Everett with a 27:46.7,
Josh Hunt with a 28:24.3, and
Nate Hillis with a 28:50.9.
As a team, the Bucs came home fifth with 124 points, with the only other SoCon team in the field, Wofford, finishing 11th. Clemson won the team event with seven of the top nine finishers, and Southern Wesleyan's Ryan Hunter won the race with a 24:37.9.
The Bucs return to competition in two weeks at the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg.
For more information on ETSU men's cross country, go to ETSUBucs.com.
