NORTON, Ohio — The Lake Erie College men's and women's cross country teams opened the 2026 season at the Tommy Evans Collegiate XC Invitational on Friday, September 4. The Storm competed against a talented field that included NCAA Division I programs Akron and Kent State, as well as G-MAC opponents Malone, Walsh, and Ursuline.

In the women's 5K, sophomore Kylie Beucler led Lake Erie with a 40th-place finish and a time of 22:21.0. Freshman Isabella Smith followed closely behind, finishing 42nd in 22:33.6, while senior Ayleen Villacres crossed the line in 22:36.0 to place 44th. Freshman Kaylee Muzzin rounded out the Storm's competitors with a time of 24:44.9.

On the men's side, freshman Max Morandé Dueñas paced the Storm in the 6K race, finishing 54th overall with a time of 20:24.7. Freshman Matthew Dupnock was the next Lake Erie runner to cross the finish line, placing 78th in 22:02.1. Sophomore John Molnar finished 81st with a time of 22:47.1, followed by freshman Robert Knox, who placed 83rd in 23:07.8. Freshman Diego Rodriguez completed the Storm lineup with a time of 31:03.7.

The Lake Erie men finished seventh in the team standings with 212 points. 

The Storm are back in action Friday, September 25th at the G-MAC Preview Meet in Tiffin, OH.