LATROBE, Pa. (Aug. 27) - The Saint Vincent men's and women's cross country teams unofficially opened the 2022 season with the annual alumni 5K, held in honor of longtime head coach Dr. Andrew Herr, who retired at the completion of the 2022 track and field season.

More than 100 alumni and friends joined the current Bearcat men's and women's cross country teams on the course for the 17th annual running of the event.

Bearcat junior Tim Patterson opened the year in fine fashion, blistering the SVC 5K trail in a course-record time of 16:03.48, 32 seconds ahead of second-place finisher and 2017 graduate Brandon Moretton, who led the alumni squad with a time of 16:35.48. 

Following Moretton, the next seven finishers were all current members of the Bearcat men's team. Joey Jafarace took third overall in 17:13.33, followed by Ethan Wymer (17:14.78), Jeremy Capella (17:20.57), Brady Sundin (17:29.25), Jeffrey Raynor (17:34.62), Joey Bujdos (17:39.39) and Aiden Jackson (17:47.60).

Competing in her first race at SVC, freshman Miranda Cincotta topped all women with a time of 20:43.79, just ahead of classmate Kristen Prince, who placed second among women in a time of 20:51.84.

2022 graduate and CoSIDA Academic All-American Sydney Green placed third overall in the women's field and topped the female alumni with a time of 21:01.03.

Following Cincotta and Prince, three Bearcat women broke the 22-minute mark, with Lily Murphy clocking in at 21:17.70, Lauren Brennan 21:17.73 and Joy Pontzer 21:42.59.

After the race, a group of alumni presented a mountain bike to Herr in recognition of his stellar 19-year coaching career with the Green and Gold. A seven-time Presidents' Athletic Conference men's cross country Coach of the Year, Herr guided the Bearcat men to eight conference cross country titles.

The Bearcat men and women will now prep for their 2022 regular season opener, the Westminster College Fisher Invitational scheduled for Friday evening, Sept. 2, in New Wilmington.