Western Kentucky’s cross country team wrapped up the 2024 season at the NCAA Southeast Regional on Friday at Winthrop Farm Meadows in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

In the final meet of the season, Mary Dye and Kinley Kunkel represented the WKU in the women’s 6k race.

Competing in their sixth meet of the season, Dye and Kunkel both finished in the top-100 of the regional championship meet. Dye led the way, claiming 66th place after finishing in 22 minutes, 03 seconds. Kunkel followed with a time of 22:21, taking 87th place.

“I thought the ladies competed hard,” WKU cross country coach Lee Wood said in a news release. “Course conditions were muddy, but they got out and competed and raced well to finish off a great season.”

In the race, the duo competed against more than 250 runners including defending national champion and No. 1 ranked North Carolina State and fifth ranked CUSA foe Liberty.

Dye and Kunkel were the first Hilltoppers to compete in the NCAA regional meet since 2022 when the team took Audery Boles, Lucy Rutherford, Brad Wiggins and Dye.

For Dye, this marks her third time competing in the NCAA meet in her four years at WKU. As a sophomore, Dye finished the 6k race in 25:36. Her finish this season edged that by 3:33, finishing 154 spots ahead of where she did in 2022.

Dye’s finish marks the best finish for a Hilltopper in the regional meet since 2021. That year, Savannah Heckman took 58th place.