Cross Country Heads North for the Firetower Project Open

Friday, September 17

Boone, N.C.

5 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

Firetower Project Open

Heaven Allen & Michael Tardella Eye Opener 2021

Photo by: Mark Olencki

9/16/2021 3:00:00 PM | Cross Country

Friday's Meet
Firetower Project Open
September 17, 2021 | 4:00 p.m. ET (Women's 5K); 4:45 p.m. (Men's 8K)
Don Kennedy Trails | Boone, N.C.

Event Preview
After opening the season with a pair of top-10 finishes on its home course at the Roger Milliken Center to open the year at the Eye Opener, USC Upstate cross country head North to compete at the Firetower Project Open in Boone, N.C.

The Spartans enter after five runners finished the Eye Opener with top-15 finishes as senior Jonathan Johnson (4^th), senior Jonathan Loy (11^th), freshman Logan Patete (12^th), and senior Michael Tardella (14^th) claimed top-15's on the men's side while senior Allie Leavitt (10^th) placed top-10 on the women's side.

Upstate also enters the Firetower Project Open with the inaugural and reigning Big South Men's Freshman Runner of the Week as Patete claimed the honor. His honor marked the program's fourth-ever Big South Runner of the Week honor since joining the conference in 2018.

Last Time Out
Men's Results (2nd of 12)
4. Jonathan Johnson – 26:20.2
11. Jonathan Loy – 26:44.5 (PR)
12. Logan Patete – 26:46.0 (PR)
14. Michael Tardella – 27:09.3
17. Jared Keklak – 27:32.7 (PR)
18. Nigel Dos Santos – 27:34.2
25. Carter Sexton – 28:04.6
29. Caleb Bayne – 28:17.2 (PR)
40. Derek Staton – 29:04.5 (PR)

Women's Results (6th of 13)
10. Allie Leavitt – 19:34.5
30. Allison Baker – 20:35.8
42. Heaven Allen – 21:07.8
59. Laura Yarborough – 22:03.2
66. Elise Wilcher – 22:50.4
71. Alanie Foster – 23:08.0

Next UP
Following a two-week hiatus from the course, Upstate heads to the Bluegrass State to compete at the Louisville Open on October 2.

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