By the Daily News

Western Kentucky senior Mary Dye and sophomore Kinley Kunkel were named to the All-Conference USA Women’s Cross Country Third Team as the Hilltoppers wrapped up action in the championship meet Saturday morning in Oxford, Alabama.

For the second time this season, Dye led the way for the Hilltoppers, taking 16th place. Kunkel followed with a top-20 finish. Dye and Kunkel are the first Hilltoppers to earn all-conference honors since Savannah Heckman did so in 2021.

In the men’s race, a freshman led the Hilltoppers in the championship race for the second straight year in Jake Younger.

“Overall both teams competed hard,” WKU coach Lee Wood said in a news release. “Excited to see how much the teams have progressed since the conference meet last year.

“ … Mary Dye and Kinley Kunkel had a great, hard-fought race and finished all-conference. These are the first all-conference finishers for either team since 2021.”

In the first race of the day, the women’s 6k championship, Dye led the way for WKU with a 16th-place finish. Kunkel followed behind, finishing in the top 20. Freshman Tatum Maschhoff managed a personal-best finish in the 6k as well.

As a team the Hilltoppers claimed seventh place out of 10 in the women’s 6k race.

In the second race, the men’s 8k, Younger led the charge for the Hilltoppers, setting a PR of 25:46. This marks the second time this season Younger has led the team.

Jared Sandfoss and Hollis Johnson followed behind Younger, claiming 42nd and 43rd respectively.

Morgantown native Parker Smith set a new personal best in the 8k race, finishing in 26:41.

The men managed an eighth-place finish for the second straight meet.

Team Results – Women

Liberty – 28

MTSU – 94

Kennesaw State – 96

New Mexico State – 107

FIU – 121

7. WKU – 178

Team Results – Men

Liberty – 46

MTSU – 48

Jax State – 92

Sam Houston – 98

Kennesaw State – 110

8. WKU – 202

Individual Results – Women

16th – Mary Dye – 21:23

20th – Kinley Kunkel – 21:29

50th – Addie Frisch – 23:06

51st – Kalina Urbaniak – 23:09

61st – Arielle Phillips – 23:45

84th – Tatum Maschhoff – 25:57

86th – Sofia Witt – 26:58

Individual Results – Men

35th – Jake Younger – 25:46

42nd – Jared Sandfoss – 26:06

43rd – Hollis Johnson – 26:11

46th – Trevor Hudnall – 26:15

52nd – Michael House – 26:29

56th – Cates Duncan – 26:39

57th – Parker Smith – 26:41

60th – Wade Balcom – 26:47