GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Ripon College men's and women's cross country opened their season with the Tom Berry Invitiational hosted by St. Norbert's this Saturday, Aug 30. Three Ripon women would finish in the top ten for the 5k event, while senior Jeremy Saloun (Portage, Wis., Portage HS) would lead the men's team with a 20:13 in the 6k. 

Senior Jenny Cortes (Round Lake, Ill., Round Lake HS) and sophomore Joley Berger (Dunbar, Wis., Pembine HS) would finish neck and neck with each other, posting a 18:59.4 and a 19:00.8 respectively. Cortes's sub-19:00 minute performance in the 5k marks her as just one of three women to accomplish the feat in the history of Ripon women's cross country, while Berger's time puts her just below Cortes on the All-Time Performances list at the four spot. Finishing tenth with a time of 19:31.4, junior Gabby Allard's (Appleton, Wis., Kimberly HS) tenth place performance in the race marks her time as the 11th best in the school's history of the event. 

On the men's side, four Red Hawks freshmen would make their debut, with Finn Lettau (Neenah, Wis., Neenah HS), Nathan Johnson (Neenah, Wis., Neenah HS), and Connor McBride (Queen Creek, Ariz., Basha HS) finishing sub-21 in the 6k and Nicholas Tyrcha (Machesney Park, Ill., Harlem HS) crossing the line just four seconds after. Two sophomores rounded out the young Ripon squad, with Jaxon Hornby (Marshall, Wis., Marshall HS) finishing second among the Red Hawks with a 20:38.0 and Aiden Brobst (Freeport, Ill., Freeport HS) coming in with a 21:08.2. 

Ripon men's and women's cross country continues their seasons with the full Shorewood Cross Country Course next weekend, taking part in the UW-Green Bay hosted event on Sept 6.