Friday, September 4
North Charleston, S.C.
The Citadel
at
Buccaneer Open
Cross Country Opens 2026 Campaign with Competitive Showing at Buccaneer Open
9/4/2026 1:29:00 PM | Cross Country
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Citadel men's and women's cross country teams opened the 2026 season with a pair of third-place finishes Friday at the Charleston Southern Buc Open.
On the men's side, the Bulldogs totaled 75 points in the 6K race, finishing behind Charleston Southern and College of Charleston. The Citadel recorded a combined time of 1:41:28 and an average of 20:17.
Carson Diggs led the squad with a ninth-place individual finish, crossing the line in 19:29.4. Wyatt Carey followed in 14th place with a time of 19:59.7. Freshman Bryce Emerson delivered a notable collegiate debut, logging 24th via a 20:31.6 mark.
Ryder Harbaugh finished 29th in 20:39.2 while Jack Wallace rounded out The Citadel's top five, notching 32nd with a time of 20:48.2. Blake Hubik and Eian Holmes slotted in among the Bulldogs' top seven.
On the women's side, The Citadel closed out the meet with 85 points for third overall, posting a total time of 1:46:14 and an average pace of 21:14 in the 5K.
Abby Thiessen paced the Bulldogs with a 23rd-place finish in 20:12.0. Jenna Couch registered 27th in 21:09.1, followed closely by Sicily Thompson in 28th at 21:21.0.
Brylee Deering finished 31st with a time of 21:42.2 and Caroline Plummer completed the Bulldogs' scoring five in 32nd place at 21:50.0. Aline Ludemann and Emily Brant rounded out the team in 33rd and 34th, respectively.
"For a small meet, it was great competition, and our kids showed a lot of mental toughness battling the heat and humidity," said Kris Kut, Director of Cross Country / Track & Field. "It was exciting to see so many athletes run significantly faster than they did at this meet last year, which shows how much work they put in this summer and how much they have bought into our culture.
"Our freshmen did an incredible job coming off Challenge Week. Carson, Wyatt and Abby really stood out, with each running almost a minute faster than they did at this meet last year. Overall, it was a strong day of competition and a good indication that the work we have put in is paying off."
The Citadel returns to action Friday, Sept. 11, at the Queen City Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.
On the men's side, the Bulldogs totaled 75 points in the 6K race, finishing behind Charleston Southern and College of Charleston. The Citadel recorded a combined time of 1:41:28 and an average of 20:17.
Carson Diggs led the squad with a ninth-place individual finish, crossing the line in 19:29.4. Wyatt Carey followed in 14th place with a time of 19:59.7. Freshman Bryce Emerson delivered a notable collegiate debut, logging 24th via a 20:31.6 mark.
Ryder Harbaugh finished 29th in 20:39.2 while Jack Wallace rounded out The Citadel's top five, notching 32nd with a time of 20:48.2. Blake Hubik and Eian Holmes slotted in among the Bulldogs' top seven.
On the women's side, The Citadel closed out the meet with 85 points for third overall, posting a total time of 1:46:14 and an average pace of 21:14 in the 5K.
Abby Thiessen paced the Bulldogs with a 23rd-place finish in 20:12.0. Jenna Couch registered 27th in 21:09.1, followed closely by Sicily Thompson in 28th at 21:21.0.
Brylee Deering finished 31st with a time of 21:42.2 and Caroline Plummer completed the Bulldogs' scoring five in 32nd place at 21:50.0. Aline Ludemann and Emily Brant rounded out the team in 33rd and 34th, respectively.
"For a small meet, it was great competition, and our kids showed a lot of mental toughness battling the heat and humidity," said Kris Kut, Director of Cross Country / Track & Field. "It was exciting to see so many athletes run significantly faster than they did at this meet last year, which shows how much work they put in this summer and how much they have bought into our culture.
"Our freshmen did an incredible job coming off Challenge Week. Carson, Wyatt and Abby really stood out, with each running almost a minute faster than they did at this meet last year. Overall, it was a strong day of competition and a good indication that the work we have put in is paying off."
The Citadel returns to action Friday, Sept. 11, at the Queen City Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.
-- #FortressOfTheSouth --
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