RESULTS | RACE PHOTOS | NKU PHOTOS | PODIUM PHOTOS
 
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky men's and women's cross country programs opened the 2023 season with a bang as the two squads showed out at the 40th annual Queen City Invitational at Valhalla Course on Friday evening.
 
The women's squad took home the team title as the group combined to score 26 points, and the men's unit posted a runner-up finish with 36 points. As a program, NKU combined for eight top-10 finishes (five on the women's side and three for the men).
 
Freshman 
Grace Biddle and sophomore 
Colton O'Hara captured the individual championship on the women's and men's side, respectively. Biddle blazed around the 5K course in 19:02.19 and O'Hara covered the 5K course in a personal best of 15:38.60.
 
THE BASICS
RESULTS: Men: 2nd (36 points) | Women: 1st (26 points)
MEET: 40th Annual Queen City Invitational
LOCATION: Valhalla Course – Highland Heights, Ky.
 
NOTABLES
- The Norse had both the women's and men's individual champions at the meet, as Biddle won the women's 5K by almost 26 seconds and O'Hara took the men's 5K championship by over 20 seconds.
 - The NKU women's squad also won the team title. The top-five was rounded out by 
Layla Henderson (3rd,
 19:35.21), 
Sophia DeLisio (5th, 19:40.04), 
Paige Decker (8th, 20:01.56) and 
Lauren Mang (9th, 20:07.99). All five of NKU's scoring student-athletes placed in the top-10 of the race.
 - After the women took the title, the men followed them up and ended the meet with a runner-up finish. NKU was paced by 
Summit Northrup (4th, 16:21.20), 
Jacob Line (5th, 16:25.10), 
Owen Mathews (13th, 16:57.14) and 
Noah Pease (16th, 17:03.75).
 
NEXT UP
The Norse will take a short break from competition before returning with IUPUI's Jaguar Invitational, set for Friday, September 15 at Blue River Memorial Park in Shelbyville, Indiana.
 
 
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