Terre Haute, Ind. ? The Kansas University men’s cross country team placed sixth in the White Race at the NCAA Pre-Nationals. Juniors Paul Hefferon and Colby Wissel led the charge for the Jayhawks, placing 13th and 14th, respectively, in the 8k event.

“Our performance today is definitely a step in the right direction,” Hefferon said. “The difference between this year’s team and last year is that we are a veteran squad and that we don’t get excited about every step.”

The women’s team placed second behind a 20th-place performance from junior Lisa Morrisey. The Ottawa native ran the 6k event in 21:39, cutting nearly 30 seconds from last year’s time.

Junior Alicia McGregor placed second on the team, 41st overall, in 22:20.