The weather was nearly perfect, the course freshly cultivated and cut, and for the first time, Wilberforce University hosted a cross-country meet.  

Ultimately, it was the brainchild of WU head coach Dean Freitag; the execution ran smoothly with coaches and runners alike loving the footing of the season-opening meet. The 5K course is perfect for an early-season meet with no jaunts through the woods, no crossing of waterways, and a few inclines. 

"Today was a special day, making history for the school was a great moment," said Freitag. "The team went out and ran with pride and left it all out on the course. The support from the Wilberforce community was the driving force. So many people came together to help make this a great event, whether that was helping work the meet or cheering on the athletes. Today was about more than just running fast; it was seeing Wilberforce students lining the course, running around the course, and cheering until every runner finished, and about family coming together. More importantly, it's just the beginning." 

A trio of Wilberforce student-athletes competed over two races in the inaugural event. Freshman Skyaqui Howard trimmed almost 10 seconds off his personal best, finishing seventh in 17:56. In his first collegiate race, Howard learned about his pacing and ability to compete against experienced runners. Freshman Keylan Holt finished the 5K course in 23:22.3. 

Freshman Takeya Canada was the lone women's student-athlete to compete for the Bulldogs, putting a time of 33:08 in the proverbial record books.

 
Wilberforce has a quick turnaround, hosting a dual race with Kentucky Christian 6 p.m. Tuesday.