The Millikin cross country teams turned in impressive performances at the Gill Dodds Invitational on September 20 at Wheaton's St. James Park, going toe-to-toe with some of the Midwest's top programs and showing depth across the board. On the men's side, the Big Blue put together a strong 5th-place team finish with 130 points.
 
Sophomore Reece Peters continued to pace Millikin, crossing the line in 26:16.9 to claim 14th overall. He was followed by a tight pack of teammates, with Julio Hernandez Lopez (26:47.4, 29th) and Brock Richards (27:07.0, 40th) both landing inside the top 40. William Turvey (27:13.6, 45th) and Joshua Lachance (27:26.4, 53rd) rounded out the scoring group, giving Millikin five runners in the top 55.
 
The women's team battled to a 10th-place finish with 243 points. Sophomore standout Brooklynn Sweikar led the charge, clocking a 23:25.3 to place 22nd overall. Teyla Wendt (24:40.5, 58th) and Brynn Behrmann (24:44.7, 61st) provided solid support in the middle of the lineup, while Kiley Coker (25:07.4, 77th) and Lydia Trump (25:07.7, 79th) sealed the scoring effort.
 
With both squads showing depth and pack strength, the Big Blue are building momentum as they head into the heart of the season and eye the CCIW Championships.