LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The SIUE men's cross country team raced in the loaded Greater Louisville Classic Saturday morning, and the duo of senior Aaron Werths (Granite City) and freshman Clint Kliem (Burlington) were once again the top finishers for the Cougars.

The Cougars struggled to get off to the start they were looking for in an 8K race that included a whopping 362 athletes.

"Our position on the starting line was way over on the left, so we just got pushed back once the race started," Head Coach Eileen McAllister said following the meet.  "Clint and Aaron still ran a solid race, but had they got out faster they would've been better off."

Werths finished 55th with a time of 25:54.84, while Kliem was right behind in 56th place with a finish of 25:56.36.

Freshman Evan Morgeson finished with a time of 27:34.71, which was a new personal best for the Imperial, Mo. native.

Despite the tough environment, McAllister still thought there were positives to be taken away from Saturday's race.

"It was good for our younger runners to see a big race like this," McAllister said.  "Our mistakes were more tactical than physical, and they are things we can correct."

The Cougars will now prepare for their second home meet of the season, the John Flamer Invite on Oct. 13.  The meet will serve as SIUE's final race before OVC Championships on Oct. 27.