In WKU’s first conference championships in Bowling Green since it joined Conference USA, the women’s cross-country team took home third place on Halloween morning.

With leading individual performances from Burlington senior Lindsey Hinken, Elizabethtown senior Katie Lever and Edmonton, Alberta, senior Taylor Carlin in the women’s 5K, the Lady Tops were able to medal in the championships. The men managed a ninth-place finish overall.

Hinken finished fourth in the meet with a time of 17:43.6 and was named Outstanding Senior of the Meet. Lever also finished in the top 10 with a ninth-place time of 17:57.2 and a spot on the All-C-USA second team.

Carlin did not manage to finish in the top 10, but her time of 18:19.7 was good for 14th place and an All-C-USA nod.

Bam, Israel, sophomore Endalow Takele led the men’s side in the 8K. He finished 13th with a time of 25:19.6. Takele was the only Hilltopper to register All-Conference honors.

Sandy Hook senior Aaron Stevens notched his third top-30 finish of the season, finishing in 27th place with a time of 25.52.4.

Action resumes for the cross-country program in two weeks, when WKU travels to Charlottesville, Virginia, for the NCAA Southeast Regional meet on Nov. 13.