Salisbury, MD - Howard Community College's cross country team kicked off their 2024 campaign on Saturday, as they competed in the Salisbury University Fall Classic.

In a tough race, the men's team came home in sixth with two new personal bests set. The women's team came home in eighth overall.

Sophomore Brandon McMillen (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills) led the way for the Dragons, finishing the men's race with a time of 28:35.1. Fellow sophomore Ryan Thibaudeau (Fulton, MD/Reservoir) came home just behind McMillen with a time of 28:46.8. Both McMillen and Thibaudeau set new personal bests in the race.

Leading the way for the women's team was Iyona Davis (Annapolis, MD/Annapolis), who finished with a final time of 32:06.4. Aniya Clerisier (Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake) finished second for the women's team with a time of 33:56.0.

The Dragons gained valuable experience in Saturday's race, as they ran an 8k while their Region rivals ran a separate 5k at Goucher. The experience of running a much longer race will come in handy for the Dragons when they go head-to-head with their rivals later this season.

Next up for the Dragons is the Hood College Blazer Blitz on Saturday, September 14.