EDINBORO, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles cross country team opened the 2026 season with a strong performance at the Doug Watts Open hosted by Edinboro, placing fourth with two top-10 finishers to their credit.
 
Running on a 5K course, the top finishers for Clarion completed the course in a tight grouping, with less than a second separating them. Raechel Braun was the Golden Eagles' top finisher on Saturday, taking eighth place with a time of 19:55.70, while Emmy Davis finished just 0.9 seconds behind her, at 19:56.60.
 
Freshman Riley Miller finished third on the team and 26^th overall, completing her first collegiate race with a time of 21:03.40. Chesnee Williams was fourth on the team and 42^nd overall with a time of 21:58.70, while Anna Hoover completed the team's top-five with a time of 22:35.60
 
Rounding out the top-seven for Clarion were Lauryn Swantek and Zoey Thomas. Swantek crossed the line in 22:43.70 while Thomas finished in 23:17.40. Brooke Rumbaugh filled out the team entry with a time of 24:34.50.