After a couple of weeks off from racing, the Cyclones were back to work at the Spartan Classic in Geneva, finishing seventh overall.

This was the first 8K race of the season on a challenging course, but the Cyclones stepped up, even with some teammates out of the lineup.

"The first 8K, whether it's the first of their season or the first of their lives, is always a big deal. To have to do it on the hilliest course of the season makes it that much more challenging," said Head Coach Dimitri Dimizas. "With that said, I think they all did a great job even if the times don't show it. As a team, we held out a few guys as precaution, but everyone should be back racing next week. A big focus was just to get a feel for the course because this is where the Region 4 championship will be run. We also got to see some runners from our region, which gives us an idea of where we stand."

The Cyclones raced among two- and four-year colleges and universities, edging ahead of conference rival Waubonsee Community College in the process. Andrew Leon led the pack, crossing the line first for the Cyclones in 29:15.2 for 27th place out of 99 finishers. Coming in after him was Gavin Rybicki (30:40.2, 52nd place), David Santiago (31:26.3, 61st place), Jacob Madera (31:54.8, 64th place), Brennan Rudolph (32:13.6, 67th place), Matthew Busch (33:16.2, 74th place) and Josue Trujillo (39:33.2, 94th place).

"We now have about six weeks to figure out how to maneuver through the 8K distance and get our pack faster and closer together," Dimizas explained.

For complete results, visit here.