Val Angel leads women’s cross country team to UNG XC Invitational title

OAKWOOD ­– The University of North Georgia women’s cross country team won both the individual and team title at the 10^th Annual UNG XC Invitational. Val Angel, the individual winner, led the Nighthawks to 15-point finish, the best possible score in the event recording a time of 18:53 in the 5K race.

Angel, becomes the first Nighthawk to win the individual event since Brittany Truitt in 2014. The team win is the third consecutive for UNG in the event and marks the seventh time the Nighthawks have won the meet.

Karmen LeRoy and Claire Mills followed with times of 18:57 and 18:58, Emily McBride finished at 19:00 just seven seconds was the difference between the four Nighthawks at the front of the pack. Emery Ryan rounded out the top five runners in the event with a time of 19:19.

North Georgia runners accounted for the first eight individuals to cross the finish line with Devin Helms, Audrey Gleason and Anna Chasteen finishing in sixth, seventh, and eighth respectively.

Sydney Bolyard and Sadie Watson placed 12th and 14th as 10 Nighthawks placed in the top-15 of the event.