CARY, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's cross country team opened the 2026 season with a sixth-place finish at the adidas Cross Country Challenge, running the 6K at the WakeMed Soccer Park Cross Country Course.

The Spartan men competed among a field of 15 teams and 161 total runners, led by local squads Wake Forest (first, 25 points) and NC State (66 points). UNCG's tally of 175 points trailed behind Liberty (110), High Point (111), and Davidson (135) as the rest of the top five.

Senior Khalid Abdullahi paced the Blue & Gold, crossing the line 22nd with a time of 18:37.8. He was closely trailed by classmate Lane Prochaska, who clocked in at 18:38.5 to take 24th.

Pierson Guerrant became the third Spartan to book a top-50 finish in Cary by placing 49th, crossing the line at 19:10.5. Guerrant's fellow junior, Logan Ruffner, wasn't far behind placing 58th at 19:31.9.

The remaining four Spartans all logged top-100 spots, led by freshman Sebastian Frickel in 75th at 19:57.8. Rounding out UNCG's lineup was Spencer Slayton (80th, 20:03.0) and freshmen Jonathan Marsden (91st, 20:22.5) and Gunnar Douglass (99th, 20:41.9), the latter two joining Frickel in completing their first collegiate race.

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Both UNCG's men and women will run at the Spartan Classic on Oct. 2, hosted at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex by the Spartans in Kernersville, North Carolina.