HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- After a long break, the Panther men's cross country team returned to the course for the UAH Chargers Invite on Saturday morning. The Panthers top-five finishers averaged a time of 25:56.00.

Florida Tech continues to show impressive improvement from last season, taking 19th place overall with an average time of 26:47.61 compared to the Panthers' 34th-place finish last season in the same meet. Ben Peck led the way for the Panthers for the second straight meet, with his time of 24:57.30, good for 50th place out of 334 runners. Niels Buitenhuis also posted a time under 26-minute time (25:17.80), earning 77th place. Tyler Herrera (26:22.90, 171st place), Jake Greene (26:27.40, 178th place), and Lachlan McCure (26:38.30, 192nd) rounded out the Crimson and Gray's top-five finishers. Three more Panthers hit time below the 28-minute mark in Dominic Longobardi, Jack Schule, and Alex Larrivee with times of 27:22.80, 27:41.80, and 27:57.00, respectively.

Men's Top Finishers (Place)

1. Ben Peck – 24:57.30 (50th)
2. Niels Buitenhuis – 25:17.80 (77th)
3. Tyler Herrera – 26:22.90 (171st)
4. Jake Greene – 26:27.40 (178th)
5. Lachlan McCure – 26:38.30 (192nd)
6. Dominic Longobardi – 27:22.80 (225th)
7. Jack Schule – 27:41.80 (236th) 
8. Alex Larrivee – 27:57.00 (244th)
9. Brycen Haner – 28:27.80 (263rd)

NEXT UP:
The Panthers prepare for the postseason, as the SSC Championships will be held on Saturday, October 26, starting at 7:45 a.m.

The Panthers will lace up their running shoes next Friday, September 27th at the Florida State Invite in Tallahassee with a start time of 7:40 A.M. For the latest news, updates, and information on the Florida Tech men's cross country team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.