FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Featuring runners from junior high through every level of collegiate competition, the 38th annual Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival proved to be a successful trip for the Missouri Baptist Men's and Women's Cross Country teams, as both came away with medals and impressive team finishes.

The men claimed first place out of 22 teams in the Prairie Fire Pepper 8K, which featured a competitive mixed-division collegiate field. Four Spartans finished inside the top 25 to earn medals. On the women's side, MBU placed eighth out of 22 teams in the Prairie Fire Pepper 5K, with two Spartans earning medals of their own.

The men kicked off the action this time around for the Spartans, competing in an 8K field featuring 186 runners. The Patten brothers continued their impressive campaigns, with freshman Wade Patten leading the way for MBU. Patten crossed the finish line in eighth place with a time of 26:10.4. Not far behind was his brother, senior Grant Patten, who took ninth in 26:21.2.

Junior Brandon Etheridge was the next Spartan across the line, placing 13th overall with a time of 26:47.7. Junior Clayton Schneider rounded out MBU's medalists, taking 18th in 27:01.7.

A strong showing throughout the lineup propelled the Spartan men to the team title with 87 points, 24 fewer than the next-closest team.

The women stepped down in distance for the Prairie Fire Pepper 5K, which featured more than 200 runners. Junior Julia Whorton led the charge, placing ninth overall with a collegiate-best time of 18:31.3.

Freshman Kailey Lawrence joined Whorton among the medalists, crossing the line in 20th place with a time of 19:05.9. The performance shattered her previous 5K personal best by more than a minute.

Several other Spartans turned in personal-best performances. Sophomore Alyssa Collins clocked a 19:32.8, cutting approximately 95 seconds off her previous best. In just her second collegiate 5K, Jenna Schnipper finished in 21:44.2, improving by roughly 35 seconds from her race at UIS. Sophomore Addison Swanson also made a significant jump, shaving nearly two minutes off her previous best with a time of 23:30.8.

The women finished eighth overall, with 201 points total.

The Spartans will have two weeks to prepare for their next competition, when they travel to Hillsboro, Illinois, for the Greenville Classic.